Incident Overview
A student pilot, who had accumulated approximately 3.4 hours of solo cross-country training flight time, encountered a sudden loss of engine power while flying about 6 miles southeast of the departure airport. The pilot executed a forced landing in a celery field.
Post-Accident Investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and found no usable fuel remaining onboard. There was no visible evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. After an adequate quantity of fuel was supplied to the aircraft, the engine was started and ran satisfactorily during a test run. No other mechanical anomalies were reported.
Pilot and Flight Details
The pilot was a student operating under solo cross-country training. The flight duration prior to the incident was about 3.4 hours. The location of the forced landing was approximately 6 miles southeast of the airport. The aircraft was not specified in the investigation report, and no registration or other identifying details were provided.
Subsequent Actions
Following the successful engine test run, the aircraft was deemed airworthy. The investigation did not determine a probable cause for the fuel exhaustion, nor did it assign any contributing factors beyond the absence of fuel.