Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60; Flight Crew Total 3073; Flight Crew Type 2000
Human-Machine Interface; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Maintenance Action; General Declared Emergency
Procedure; Human Factors; Aircraft
I was on a training flight with a student pilot who does not yet have a student pilot certificate.  This was our ninth flight together during which we practiced landings; steep turns; VOR course intercepts; and navigation. After completing our training for the day; we were departing the training area and on our way back to the airport.  While listening to ATIS outside of the Bravo airspace we had engine trouble which led to engine failure.  At the first sign of engine trouble the flight time was at 1.6 hours. We began the flight with an estimated 2.5 hours fuel on board (~20 gallons).  I estimated that at the time of engine failure we had used approximately 14 gallons of fuel and had approximately 6 gallons of fuel remaining or at least another 45 minutes of fuel aboard.  Nonetheless; I assumed control of the aircraft and turned back [toward a nearby airfield we had just passed].  We declared an emergency due to engine failure and landed the aircraft in a farmers plowed dirt field.  There were two souls on board; neither of whom received any injuries.  Also; no damage occurred to the aircraft.  The following day a Mechanic from the FAA inspected the aircraft on the field and found no mechanical problems with the aircraft and presumed the engine failure occurred due to fuel starvation.  Fuel was added and the aircraft was flown under its own power off the field back to base.  It was then returned to service.I believed that a fuel leak could have been a contributing factor to the incident as I am certain we began our flight with approximately 20 gallons aboard.  I was shocked to know that the engine failure occurred due to a lack of fuel.  We had only been in flight for 1.6 hours and the aircraft only burns approximately 6.9 gallons per hour.
An instructor pilot and his student suffered engine failure due to fuel starvation.  They had estimated they had 2.5 hours of fuel on board at departure; yet the engine failed only 1.6 hours into the flight.