PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 90; Flight Crew Total 2100; Flight Crew Type 7900
Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
[We] executed an off airport landing due to fuel exhaustion from the fuel selector valve being inadvertently turned off by the student pilot. The fuel selector valve had no detent to prevent such a situation. Engine power was lost and a decision to execute an off airport landing was made as the airport was beyond glide distance for the aircraft. Executed an uneventful off airport landing and that is when I noted the fuel selector valve was in the off position after securing the aircraft. No attempt to restart on my part because the lack of altitude and confirmed landing site.Student pilots accustomed to a previous flown Cherokee with the detent feature that wasn't found in this model; my complacency believing that the student knew the fuel selector positions. My inaction to verify the selector valve was in the correct position after the switch.
On downwind (beyond midfield downwind) my instructor told me to switch tank to fullest. I proceeded to change tanks and went passed the right tank to 'OFF' inadvertently. Continuing with checklist for final descent and about to pull power; the engine quit all of the sudden. The instructor took over airplane and decided to go for runway. Realizing we were too low and too far; the instructor pitched for a clear dirt road. The instructor landed on the dirt road with no damage to the airplane; environment or personnel.Human factors design (no stop to prevent from going to 'OFF' position without looking); lack of knowledge of airplane configuration. It was discovered by going through the airplane after checking configuration while on land. Off airport landing executed and more instruction on airplane.
A PA-28 engine quit because of fuel starvation forcing an off airport landing after the student pilot selected the crossfeed to CLOSE because that aircraft had no selector detent before the OFF position.