Incident Overview
A student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight from Long Beach to Blythe, California. The flight plan included a touch-and-go landing at Bermuda Dunes followed by a stop at Blythe to refuel before returning to Long Beach. However, the pilot decided to make a full stop at Bermuda Dunes for an estimated 30-minute rest break.
Engine Failure
Approximately 10 to 20 minutes after departing Bermuda Dunes en route to Blythe, the engine ceased operation. The pilot managed to restart the engine, but it ran for only about 5 minutes before quitting again. The student reported that prior to departure from Long Beach, he had visually checked the fuel level, noting that the fuel was down by approximately one inch in each tank.
Post-Incident Actions
The student's flight instructor stated that he did not visually check the aircraft's fuel level nor observe the aircraft being refueled. The aircraft was subsequently recovered, examined, and the engine was successfully test run without issue.
Investigation
The incident resulted in no injuries. No probable cause has been determined from the available information.