Incident Overview
A student pilot departed Livermore, California, at an undetermined time, with a reported destination of Tucson, Arizona. En route stops were made at Bakersfield and Banning, California. After refueling at Banning, the pilot departed on an unspecified and undetermined route. While in the vicinity of Ajo, Arizona, the pilot elected to return to Gila Bend, Arizona, but provided no reason for the diversion.
Sequence of Events
During arrival at Gila Bend, the engine ceased running. The pilot stated he was too low to align the aircraft with the runway. The aircraft was landed crosswise to the runway and subsequently collided with a dirt berm.
Post-Accident Examination
An examination of the aircraft revealed that the left fuel tank was empty and only about two gallons remained in the right tank. The unusable fuel for the Cessna 172E is approximately two gallons. There was no evidence that the student pilot was endorsed for the cross-country flight. Additionally, there was no indication in the student's report that either of the passengers were rated pilots.