Narrative:

I was on an IFR training flight in VMC conditions. The aircraft my student and I were flying was a low wing small aircraft left. We had intended to fly an small aircraft H, but it went down for repairs. Both my student and I had a great deal of experience in small aircraft H, but we chose to fly the small aircraft left instead of waiting for another day. We flew x-country on an IFR flight plan uneventfully. We closed our IFR flight plan 10 mi northeast of deer valley. We then went through our descent check. We could not find either of our 2 flash lights and the dome light had just failed. Visibility in the cockpit was poor. My student switched the fuel selector to a position that did not have a detent. He waited to see if the engine would shut down, but it didn't, so he assumed that he had moved the lever to the proper position and did not tell me of his uncertainty. The engine quit at 1000' AGL while crossing a road. I made a quick attempt by cycling throttle and mixture. I only had time to bank sharply and land on the road. I chose a left bank for spacing between cars. While I was trying to find the road in the dark, my student switched back to the left tank. Just before roundout, the engine produced full power. I reached for the throttle and pulled it back to idle. We landed on the road and stopped under some power lines. 1) I should have had a flashlight on a string around my neck. 2) I should have known the aircraft better. 3) my student should have known the aircraft better even though we talked about the fuel system before takeoff. 4) the fuel valve should be designed so that the lever comes against a stop on both the left and right tanks. The system as it is makes it possible to pass a detent and shut the fuel off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT EMERGENCY FORCED LNDG PERFORMED IN NIGHT OPERATION BY INSTRUCTOR PLT AND TRAINEE.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR TRNING FLT IN VMC CONDITIONS. THE ACFT MY STUDENT AND I WERE FLYING WAS A LOW WING SMA L. WE HAD INTENDED TO FLY AN SMA H, BUT IT WENT DOWN FOR REPAIRS. BOTH MY STUDENT AND I HAD A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE IN SMA H, BUT WE CHOSE TO FLY THE SMA L INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR ANOTHER DAY. WE FLEW X-COUNTRY ON AN IFR FLT PLAN UNEVENTFULLY. WE CLOSED OUR IFR FLT PLAN 10 MI NE OF DEER VALLEY. WE THEN WENT THROUGH OUR DSNT CHK. WE COULD NOT FIND EITHER OF OUR 2 FLASH LIGHTS AND THE DOME LIGHT HAD JUST FAILED. VISIBILITY IN THE COCKPIT WAS POOR. MY STUDENT SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO A POS THAT DID NOT HAVE A DETENT. HE WAITED TO SEE IF THE ENG WOULD SHUT DOWN, BUT IT DIDN'T, SO HE ASSUMED THAT HE HAD MOVED THE LEVER TO THE PROPER POS AND DID NOT TELL ME OF HIS UNCERTAINTY. THE ENG QUIT AT 1000' AGL WHILE XING A ROAD. I MADE A QUICK ATTEMPT BY CYCLING THROTTLE AND MIXTURE. I ONLY HAD TIME TO BANK SHARPLY AND LAND ON THE ROAD. I CHOSE A LEFT BANK FOR SPACING BTWN CARS. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE ROAD IN THE DARK, MY STUDENT SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT TANK. JUST BEFORE ROUNDOUT, THE ENG PRODUCED FULL PWR. I REACHED FOR THE THROTTLE AND PULLED IT BACK TO IDLE. WE LANDED ON THE ROAD AND STOPPED UNDER SOME PWR LINES. 1) I SHOULD HAVE HAD A FLASHLIGHT ON A STRING AROUND MY NECK. 2) I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE ACFT BETTER. 3) MY STUDENT SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE ACFT BETTER EVEN THOUGH WE TALKED ABOUT THE FUEL SYS BEFORE TKOF. 4) THE FUEL VALVE SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT THE LEVER COMES AGAINST A STOP ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT TANKS. THE SYS AS IT IS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO PASS A DETENT AND SHUT THE FUEL OFF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.