Narrative:

WX: daytime VMC, good visibility (approximately 10 mi). A thorough visual preflight inspection was made using a written checklist. Everything on the airplane appeared to be normal. The right fuel tank was observed to contain min fuel, so we planned to use only the left tank for this flight which contained approximately 12 gallons of fuel. The small aircraft burns 6.5 gallons per hour at 75 percent power for best power mixture. This was plenty of fuel for our planned 1 hour flight. A runup was made before takeoff using a written checklist. The engine was running fine and everything was within acceptable limits. The engine failure occurred during a steep power turn. Prior to the failure, the engine was running smoothly. There were no signs such as engine roughness or coughing to foreshadow the failure. As soon as the engine quit, I leveled the wings and put the nose down to maintain a safe airspeed. We were able to restart the engine and opted to return to the airport. The engine failed shortly after that again, and we prepared for a forced landing. The flight instructor took over flying the airplane while I assisted in reviewing memorized emergency procedures. We continued to try to restart until reaching approximately 100 ft AGL, then I shut everything down. The flight instructor made the landing in a field. (We were at 3500 ft MSL when the first failure occurred, and 3000 ft MSL when the second failure occurred. Ground elevation in the area is approximately 1200 MSL, plus or minus approximately 30 ft.) the airplane received some damage on the wings and empennage when we struck a fence. Both occupants were unharmed. After we touched down and came to a stop, we both exited the aircraft immediately. I had some difficulty in unlatching the top latch on my door, but we were able to unlatch it fairly quickly. We tried to contact our local tower by radio to let them know we were ok, but the communication antenna had been torn off also. An airplane from another local flight school was sent to fly over us. We waved at him to let him know that we were ok. We were able to call our flight department to let them know we were all right from a nearby house.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI WITH INSTRUCTOR HAS ENG FAILURE. EMER LNDG.

Narrative: WX: DAYTIME VMC, GOOD VISIBILITY (APPROX 10 MI). A THOROUGH VISUAL PREFLT INSPECTION WAS MADE USING A WRITTEN CHKLIST. EVERYTHING ON THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. THE R FUEL TANK WAS OBSERVED TO CONTAIN MIN FUEL, SO WE PLANNED TO USE ONLY THE L TANK FOR THIS FLT WHICH CONTAINED APPROX 12 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE SMA BURNS 6.5 GALLONS PER HR AT 75 PERCENT PWR FOR BEST PWR MIXTURE. THIS WAS PLENTY OF FUEL FOR OUR PLANNED 1 HR FLT. A RUNUP WAS MADE BEFORE TKOF USING A WRITTEN CHKLIST. THE ENG WAS RUNNING FINE AND EVERYTHING WAS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. THE ENG FAILURE OCCURRED DURING A STEEP PWR TURN. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE ENG WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. THERE WERE NO SIGNS SUCH AS ENG ROUGHNESS OR COUGHING TO FORESHADOW THE FAILURE. AS SOON AS THE ENG QUIT, I LEVELED THE WINGS AND PUT THE NOSE DOWN TO MAINTAIN A SAFE AIRSPEED. WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE ENG AND OPTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. THE ENG FAILED SHORTLY AFTER THAT AGAIN, AND WE PREPARED FOR A FORCED LNDG. THE FLT INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHILE I ASSISTED IN REVIEWING MEMORIZED EMER PROCS. WE CONTINUED TO TRY TO RESTART UNTIL REACHING APPROX 100 FT AGL, THEN I SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. THE FLT INSTRUCTOR MADE THE LNDG IN A FIELD. (WE WERE AT 3500 FT MSL WHEN THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED, AND 3000 FT MSL WHEN THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURRED. GND ELEVATION IN THE AREA IS APPROX 1200 MSL, PLUS OR MINUS APPROX 30 FT.) THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SOME DAMAGE ON THE WINGS AND EMPENNAGE WHEN WE STRUCK A FENCE. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE UNHARMED. AFTER WE TOUCHED DOWN AND CAME TO A STOP, WE BOTH EXITED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY. I HAD SOME DIFFICULTY IN UNLATCHING THE TOP LATCH ON MY DOOR, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO UNLATCH IT FAIRLY QUICKLY. WE TRIED TO CONTACT OUR LCL TWR BY RADIO TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE OK, BUT THE COM ANTENNA HAD BEEN TORN OFF ALSO. AN AIRPLANE FROM ANOTHER LCL FLT SCHOOL WAS SENT TO FLY OVER US. WE WAVED AT HIM TO LET HIM KNOW THAT WE WERE OK. WE WERE ABLE TO CALL OUR FLT DEPT TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE ALL RIGHT FROM A NEARBY HOUSE.

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.