Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting a cross-country flight and, contrary to his flight instructor's recommendation, refueled at his first stop instead of the second. While approaching to land at his final destination, the engine lost power. The aircraft subsequently crashed into trees approximately half a mile from the active runway.
Investigation Findings
An investigation into the accident revealed that less than one gallon of fuel remained in each of the two wing tanks at the time of the crash. The unusable fuel capacity for this aircraft was 3.5 gallons, indicating that the available fuel was insufficient to complete the flight.
Sequence of Events
The pilot made an unscheduled fuel stop early in the journey. Later, as he neared the destination airport and was on final approach, the engine ceased to operate. The airplane descended and struck trees before reaching the runway.