Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 112; Flight Crew Total 616; Flight Crew Type 400
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Aircraft
My student and I were doing pattern work; and we had done 6 touch and goes including 2 slips; simulated engine failure by pulling power to idle and a Go-around. On our last pattern my student pulled power to 1500 rpm abeam the numbers (RWY XX was the runway we were cleared touch and go) the student put in flaps 10 and then turned base. On the base leg I noticed that the RPM indicator showed 1000 rpm so I asked my student why did you pull the power to idle; then I realized the student had not but the engine had failed and in fact the student had given full power and it was still showing 1000 rpm. So I took the controls and noticed the mixture was rich; fuel selector was on both and the fuel shut off value was in. I pitch for best glide and told tower we had an engine failure and asked to land on runway XY. They said I was cleared to land (I chose that runway because the flaps 10 had already been put in and I was not going to make it to runway XX) before I was lined up for runway XY I put the electrical driven fuel pump on and then the engine started back up. I brought the throttle back and told tower I would just land on runway XX. So we landed runway XX and taxied back to the ramp with the fuel pump on. My guess is the engine driven fuel pump had a problem or there was something that clogged the line. The plane was proper preflight and all the fuel sumps were sumped and there was no sign of water or debris.
C172 Instructor reported engine failure during pattern work with student.