What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 26, 2013, student pilotprivacy data omitted was operating as the pilot in command of a Cessna 152, N68757, from the Atwater airport (kmer)to the local practice area, near turlock, CA. The pilot departed kmer sometime after 1630 PST (with what he described as "half tanks") of fuel and experienced engine fuel starvation at 1815 PST. This is consistent with the hobbs meter reading of 1.7 hours and the fuel depletion of approximatley 12 gallons. Due to the fact that the engine usually uses 6 gallons per hour. The pilot explained to ATC that he was lost and could not find the Atwater/ Castle airport. Night conditions prevailed and he did not know how to find the airport. Radar vectors were given to the student pilot and he experienced engine failure when on downwind. He set up for a glide and landed in a field that was soft and nosed over damaging the firewall and vertical stabilizer. Only 1/2 gallon of fuel was able to be drained from each wing after the airplane was moved to the upright position. The unusable amount per the pilots operating handbook is 1/2 gallon per wing.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 26, 2013, STUDENT PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A CESSNA 152, N68757, FROM THE ATWATER AIRPORT (KMER)TO THE LOCAL PRACTICE AREA, NEAR TURLOCK, CA. THE PILOT DEPARTED KMER SOMETIME AFTER 1630 PST (WITH WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS "HALF TANKS") OF FUEL AND EXPERIENCED ENGINE FUEL STARVATION AT 1815 PST. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE HOBBS METER READING OF 1.7 HOURS AND THE FUEL DEPLETION OF APPROXIMATLEY 12 GALLONS. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ENGINE USUALLY USES 6 GALLONS PER HOUR. THE PILOT EXPLAINED TO ATC THAT HE WAS LOST AND COULD NOT FIND THE ATWATER/ CASTLE AIRPORT. NIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FIND THE AIRPORT. RADAR VECTORS WERE GIVEN TO THE STUDENT PILOT AND HE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE WHEN ON DOWNWIND. HE SET UP FOR A GLIDE AND LANDED IN A FIELD THAT WAS SOFT AND NOSED OVER DAMAGING THE FIREWALL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER. ONLY 1/2 GALLON OF FUEL WAS ABLE TO BE DRAINED FROM EACH WING AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THE UNUSABLE AMOUNT PER THE PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK IS 1/2 GALLON PER WING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.