DA20 Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 47; Flight Crew Total 344; Flight Crew Type 158
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Aircraft; Human Factors
I met with a student and we began the preflight checks; which lasted about 1.5 hours in total. We visually verified fuel on the gauge as full and dipped the stick in the tank indicating full fuel. We began taxi and then run-up checks. We noticed fuel pressure and fuel quantity were reporting correctly.After takeoff; we did after takeoff checks and visually verified gauges were good. I vaguely remember seeing 3/4 full on the fuel tank by this point.The student [then] experienced an RPM drop. I took controls and pushed the throttle forward. The engine reacted normally and increased RPM; then shortly after reduced RPM without any throttle manipulation. I looked over and saw the fuel pressure was reducing and fuel quantity was in the yellow which indicates 1/4 tank.We were at about 4;000 ft. at this point. I squawked 7700. I called Approach who I had already been on the radio with this entire time. [We were] too far away for our glide ratio to get to an airport so I chose to land in a field. I was pitching for 73 knots which is Vg (best glide speed). We still had an operating engine at about 1400 RPM so I did not try to shut it off and restart it. At about 1;200 ft. or 1;000 ft. if memory serves me correct; the engine quit and I shut it down and secured it for landing. I applied flaps appropriately and made a soft field landing in the field. We applied brakes just in time to stop right as we made contact with a barbed fence. The fence was slightly bent; the owner came and saw as well.Our Tach time read about 0.9 so we were not up for even an hour. GPH burn is about 6 to 9 in our plane with a 24 gallon tank so we had more than enough for a full tank landing which is what we calculated before our flight.
DA-20 instructor pilot reported executing a successful forced landing in a field after experiencing engine problems related to fuel supply issues.