Cessna 152
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 98; Flight Crew Total 139; Flight Crew Type 124
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors
Hobbs time from start to landing [was] 3.5 hours. Fuel top off at start. I depended on gauges for fuel enroute. Mechanic instructions before flight; 'It's a new engine; keep RPM high and don't lean'.At approximately 3.0 hours Hobbs; noticed engine RPM decreasing. Fuel gauge read 8 gallons. Altitude 5;500 MSL. Descended over time to 3;000 MSL where engine seem to make enough power to maintain altitude. I was returning directly to my home airport.Called tower advised of situation. Another instructor on [frequency] told me to 'keep full power and enrich mixture'. Go straight to [home airport]. With fuel gauge showing 6 gallons; the instructor told me I had enough fuel to return to [home airport]. I did what I was told. I was losing altitude quickly. I was at 1;500 feet MSL (800 AGL) when the RPM would not support level altitude. I selected an open field for my emergency landing.
The pilot of a C152 with a new engine was advised to run the engine at high RPM and not lean. As he approached the airport of intended landing; the engine would no longer maintain altitude; resulting in an off field landing.