Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 700; Flight Crew Type 500
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Aircraft; Human Factors
My student and I departed on a training flight to the southeast practice area where we were going to run through Private Pilot maneuvers (stalls; steep turns; engine out; ground maneuvers and landings). After climbing to 035 and completing steep turns; we set up to do power on stalls and climbed to 050. We then set up to do power off stalls. After completing 4 power off stalls; we still had significant altitude and I decided to give student an engine out by pulling the mixture. The student set up the aircraft for best glide and selected an airfield that was about three miles away and ran through the restart checklist. Every 1500 feet I would advance the mixture and push forward on the yoke to make sure the engine was staying primed. We then simulated part of the forced landing checklist (ELT; squawk codes; emergency calls) and performed the landing brief.The student chose to try to get to the airfield by going down the downwind then realized that student was too low and close to the runway to safely make it to the field. I asked student what the backup plan was and student selected a field to right of the aircraft that student could easily turn into. Student turned the aircraft to the field and I estimated that student could easily make the landing and that student had the engine back and to do a go-around. I advanced the mixture and the engine sputtered and died and the prop stopped. The student announced that I had the controls and I pointed the airplane to the field that student had selected. I checked the mixture in; shut off valve on; then attempted to restart the engine with the key. After two attempts; I determined that we were too low and shut off the fuel valve and pulled the mixture and landed the plane in the field.There was no damage to the plane; no injuries to myself or my student; and no property damage. Fuel levels were still visible and greater than half way from the top of the tanks (well over 1/2 full; I didn't have a fuel stick to check total actual levels); oil level was still at 5 qts. We were able to later restart the airplane and taxi it closer to the property owner's barn with permission.The biggest thing that I learned was that I will not pull the mixture to simulate an engine out any more. That was the mistake that I feel caused this. In the future; all engine outs will be initiated by pulling the throttle. Though this has been common in my training from private to commercial; it put us in a dangerous situation that I could have avoided.
At the altitude of 4;000 feet my Instructor pulled the mixture in the aircraft to simulate an emergency landing. At that moment I trimmed the plane all the way; pulled the carb heat and pitched the airplane for 60 kts. Next I looked for a place we could simulate the landing and we were just 2-4 miles from [an] airport. We were descending approximately 500 feet per minute. The closer we got I realized that I was too low to make the obstacles. I made the error of not looking at the altitude of the field. Therefore; I looked to my right and there was a large field and I pointed to my instructor that at that moment the safest decision was to do the field on the right. My instructor said that was a good decision and I started my turn to the field.My airspeed was 60; my right hand was on the throttle; which at the time it was all in. My left hand on the controls and my feet on the rudder. A few seconds later my Instructor looked at me and said 'you would have made it' and he decided to end the simulation by putting the mixture all in. However; the engine would not work and my instructor said 'my controls' I restated 'your controls' and he took charge of the plane. He tried turning the engine on a couple times and the propeller would just not move at all. It happened in a matter of seconds. Since I had already lined up the airplane to the field; my Instructor worked hard to fly the airplane until it touched the ground where he applied the brakes after he had landed it safely. We turned all the systems off and removed the key from the starter. We opened the doors and got out of the aircraft. We called the flight school and they came to get us and to see the airplane.
C152 Instructor and student pilot reported a forced landing resulted when the engine failed to start following a simulated engine failure.