QUINCY, IL, USA
N68299
CESSNA 152
The flight instructor (CFI) sent the student pilot on a solo flight after having flown with her earlier in the day. The CFI said the student departed with 20 gallons of fuel aboard the airplane. The student returned about 1 hour later. The CFI said he went flying with the student to check her progress. During this flight, the CFI moved the fuel selector to the 'OFF' position to simulate an engine failure. According to the CFI, the student performed the emergency engine starting procedures, and the fuel selector was returned to the 'ON' position. The CFI said his attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. He said he made a forced landing in the best field available, which was bottom land that had been disked (or plowed). During the landing, the airplane nosed over and was extensively damaged. The accident was reported about 2 months after it occurred. The airplane was not available for examination, and no reason was found to explain why an in-flight restart of the engine was not attained.
On October 17, 1997, at 1720 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna 152, N68299, piloted by a flight instructor, giving dual instruction to a student pilot, was destroyed when it nosed over during a forced landing onto a plowed field following a total loss of engine power. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight instructor and student pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Quincy, Illinois, at 1615 cst. The flight instructor said he had flown the airplane earlier in the day with the student pilot. He said he assigned the student solo flight maneuvers after refueling the airplane so it would depart with 20 gallons of fuel on board. The instructor said the student had flown about 1 hour and returned to the airport. He said he "...went up with her once again to check her status on the maneuvers." The instructor said he "...turned the fuel off to simulate an engine failure." According to the instructor, the student performed the emergency procedures associated with an engine failure. He said he returned the fuel selector to the "ON" position. The instructor said he attempted to start the engine without success. The instructor said that he "...set the airplane up for an emergency landing." He said he "...chose... the best [field] in the area considering the altitude we at and our rate of descent." The instructor said the airplane touched down in the field and the next event he recalled was the student "...calling his name several times." The accident was reported to the NTSB about 2 months after it occurred. The airplane was not available for examination.
improper in-flight planning/decision by the flight instructor (CFI), by switching 'OFF' the fuel selector valve of the single-engine airplane (starving the engine of fuel) to 'simulate' an emergency. Factors relating to the accident were: the soft and uneven terrain conditions in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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