Accident Overview
The airplane struck trees during a forced landing caused by fuel exhaustion. The accident occurred while a student pilot was conducting his first solo cross-country flight.
Flight Details
The intended route was from Madison Municipal Airport (IMS) in Madison, Indiana, to Hook Municipal Airport (MWO) in Middletown, Ohio, with a return leg to IMS. During the outbound leg, the student reported that he overflew MWO and instead landed at Green-County-Jackson Regional Airport (I19) in Dayton, Ohio, approximately 21 nautical miles beyond his intended destination. After receiving directions, he departed I19, landed at MWO, and had his logbook signed. He then departed for the return flight to IMS.
Accident Sequence
While en route back to IMS, it became dark. The student overshot IMS by about 48 nautical miles and was unsure of his location until he sighted a water tower bearing an unfamiliar town name. Shortly thereafter, the engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion. During the forced landing, the pilot stalled the airplane just above treetops in a wooded area. The aircraft settled through the trees and came to rest inverted.
Pilot Information
The student pilot had accumulated a total of 30 hours of flight time, with no night flying hours recorded in his logbook. A review of his navigational logs for the flights indicated they were incomplete and inaccurate.