Incident Details
A student pilot on a solo instructional flight experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot executed a forced landing in a parking lot, during which the airplane collided with a trailer.
Pilot Experience and Flight Plan
The student pilot had accumulated 28 total flight hours, including 4 hours as pilot-in-command. The planned flight was a 1-hour local area sortie within a 25-mile radius of the departure airport, as authorized by the flight instructor.
Flight Progression
Shortly after departure, the student became disoriented and confused regarding the direction of flight. Instead of flying west as intended, the pilot flew east. The flight continued for 3.25 hours, covering approximately 117 miles east of the departure airport, before fuel exhaustion occurred.