Accident Overview
During the return leg of a student pilot's cross-country flight, the engine lost all power. The student pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to trees. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and found that the left fuel tank was full, but the right fuel tank contained about 1 gallon of fuel.
Fuel Management
Prior to the student renting the airplane, it had been completely fueled and then flown for 1.1 hours. A flight instructor met with the student pilot before her flight and instructed her to fly out on the right tank and return on the left tank. However, the student pilot believed she had 12 gallons of fuel in the right tank and flew the entire cross-country flight with the fuel selector positioned to the right tank. After the power loss, the student pilot did not switch fuel tanks, as the right fuel tank gauge had indicated mid-range and she believed sufficient fuel remained.
Gauge Discrepancies
Review of a discrepancies form revealed that during the two months prior to the accident, the right fuel tank gauge had been entered twice, but the operator took no corrective action.