Incident Details
A student pilot was conducting his first solo cross-country flight, en route to his first destination airport. While approaching the airport, he was unable to establish contact with the tower and determined that he was lost. He then attempted to return to the original departure airport but continued to experience disorientation. The airplane subsequently became low on fuel, and the propeller began to lose normal revolution. The pilot located a field in which to perform a precautionary landing. During the landing rollout, the airplane collided with two barbwire fences.
Fuel Considerations
According to aircraft performance data, the airplane consumes approximately 6 gallons of fuel per hour. The student pilot departed with approximately 26 gallons of fuel (24.5 gallons usable) and flew for approximately 3.5 hours. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot.
Outcome
The airplane sustained damage from the fence collisions. The pilot was not reported as injured. The accident occurred during the pilot's first solo cross-country flight, highlighting the challenges of navigation and fuel management for student pilots.