Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 62.1; Flight Crew Total 538.1; Flight Crew Type 3
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft; Human Factors
While cruising at 9;000 MSL on an instrument training flight with a private pilot instrument student we noticed a drop in oil pressure. We kept checking the oil temperature and suspected the oil pressure gauge was inoperative. After several minutes the oil temperature began to rise and we had a drop in engine RPM. The pilot notified Center that we had a rough running engine and requested vectors to the nearest airport. They initially gave us a bearing towards an airport some distance away; but we asked for something nearer our position. They gave us a heading of 240 toward a nearby non-towered airport then handed us off to TRACON. Soon after our engine began to shake and make unusual noises indicating internal damage. The engine soon stopped and we notified ATC of a complete engine failure. The failure happened about 8-9 miles from the airport. ATC lost radar contact with us around 5;000 MSL and advised us to switch to the advisory frequency. We completed S-turns to lose altitude and airspeed and touched down about one fourth of the way down the runway. We came to a stop with approximately one thousand five hundred feet of runway remaining. No damage other than to the engine occurred. In retrospect; I wish we had immediately declared an emergency with ATC while we only had a rough running engine. I let the pilot do the flying; as he has several hundred hours in Canard type aircraft. I made suggestions where I felt they might be needed and helped with landing gear; ATC; etc.
An instructor pilot and his private rated instrument student suffered engine failure in their canard; pusher homebuilt. Their high altitude; 9;000 MSL; at the time of the failure and Center vectors allowed them to glide to and adjust their rate of descent to make a successful landing at the nearest suitable airport with no further damage to the airplane.