Cessna 152
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 475
Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Maintenance Action; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
I was on an instructional flight with a student when I started to have engine trouble after takeoff. I oversaw the run up with a student who was about ready to test out for his Private pilot certificate. During the runup I did not notice any issues with the magneto check or any form of engine roughness. The limits of the magneto check went well and were nothing to note. After the run up we obtained a clearance to fly runway heading and take off Runway 24. When we started our takeoff roll I still had not noticed any engine roughness. It wasn't until we got airborne and were approximately 300 FT above the ground when I started noticing the engine didn't sound right. It sounded like it was missing and noticed it to be struggling to maintain a normal climb rate. I immediately confirmed with my student if he noticed what I was hearing and he acknowledged the same. I then took the controls and notified ATC (Tower) that we needed an immediate landing on Runway 31; the cross runway. I decided it would be best to land that runway since I did not want to get to far from the airport and also the winds were out of the north. The Controller gave me priority right away and gave the clearance to land Runway 31.While turning the airplane towards [Runway] 31 I quickly tried to trouble shoot the issue. I didn't have much time since I was only a couple hundred feet above the ground at this point and was more concerned about getting the plane back on the ground safely since I had enough altitude to make a [Runway] 31 landing from a Runway 24 departure. After the airborne check while having my student assist me; nothing abnormal was noted. I had him check the primer to insure it was locked; the magnetos on both; carb heat on; fuel selector all the way in; and fuel selector was on. After landing I confirmed [with the student] that during the preflight the plane's fuel sumps were properly sumped and they were. I even checked again when we landed. Lastly I did a magneto check and everything was running fine during the magneto check after the incident. I contacted Maintenance as soon as we landed.
After taking off on Runway 24 an instructor pilot aboard a C152 made an immediate return to land on Runway 31 when the engine lost power and began to run rough.