Incident Overview
A student pilot conducting a solo flight in the local practice area became lost and subsequently exhausted the fuel supply. During the resulting forced landing, the airplane nosed over after contacting soft terrain, leading to substantial damage.
Sequence of Events
After losing orientation, the pilot was instructed by air traffic control to tune to the local VOR. The airplane was eventually established on a course toward the VOR and the destination airport, but attempts to establish radar identification were unsuccessful. Prior to locating the aircraft, the pilot reported over an intermediate airport but did not elect to land. The air traffic control tower inquired about fuel status 25 minutes after initial notification that the pilot was lost. The airplane ran out of fuel four minutes after the tower's query while en route back to the original destination.
Relevant Procedures
FAA Order 7110.65, the Air Traffic Control Handbook, specifies the information to be obtained by ATC to provide adequate assistance to an aircraft in distress or an urgency situation, including remaining fuel on board.