Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting a cross-country flight with a planned route from Leonardtown, Maryland, to Cumberland, Maryland, then to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and finally returning to Leonardtown. Before departure, the student had been instructed to refuel at either Cumberland or Lancaster before continuing the flight.
Fuel Management
The student reported requesting fuel services at Lancaster but did not receive any. He then checked the fuel gauges, which indicated the left tank was 3/4 full and the right tank was 3/8 full. After inspecting the fuel tanks, the student believed the gauges were approximately accurate.
Flight Profile
The total distance of the flight exceeded 300 miles. According to the student, the flight duration would have been approximately 5 hours and 50 minutes, requiring about 28 gallons of fuel. However, the aircraft's useful fuel load was only 24.5 gallons. The student did not purchase any fuel during the en route stops.
Engine Failure and Forced Landing
While on the last leg of the cross-country flight, the engine lost power. During the subsequent forced landing, the aircraft struck a concrete object and overturned.