Flight review simulated emergency becomes true emergency as engine fails. Landed on grass strip.

Attributes
ACN	188483
Time
Date	199109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3he
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 270 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	188483
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 353 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	188709
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While flying my biannual flight review the instructor conducting the review pulled the mixture rather than the throttle to simulate an engine out emergency. This caused the engine to stop due to fuel starvation. I was not able to restart the engine in-flight so the aircraft was landed without power on a mowed field beneath the location of the incident. The landing was normal and no damage or injuries were sustained. The field appeared to be an uncharted grass strip with no aircraft or houses adjoining it. After it became apparent an off-airport landing would be required, a 7700 squawk code was transmitted and a transmission on 121.5 was made announcing our position and situation -- no reply was heard to the radio call. I'm also uncertain if our emergency squawk was painted on radar due to the altitude and position of the incident. After landing, a telephone call was made to lansing FSS to advise them no emergency existed and all was ok. After the telephone call, the aircraft was restarted and flown back to the home base airport (3HE). CFI training should stress the mixture should never be pulled to simulate emergency procedures. In this case it created an emergency from a normal situation. I was fortunate to not only have a suitable place to land safely but to also execute the landing without error. Had either of those factors worked against me, it would have created an accident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT REVIEW SIMULATED EMER BECOMES TRUE EMER AS ENG FAILS. LANDED ON GRASS STRIP.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING MY BIANNUAL FLT REVIEW THE INSTRUCTOR CONDUCTING THE REVIEW PULLED THE MIXTURE RATHER THAN THE THROTTLE TO SIMULATE AN ENG OUT EMER. THIS CAUSED THE ENG TO STOP DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE ENG INFLT SO THE ACFT WAS LANDED WITHOUT PWR ON A MOWED FIELD BENEATH THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL AND NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE FIELD APPEARED TO BE AN UNCHARTED GRASS STRIP WITH NO ACFT OR HOUSES ADJOINING IT. AFTER IT BECAME APPARENT AN OFF-ARPT LNDG WOULD BE REQUIRED, A 7700 SQUAWK CODE WAS XMITTED AND A XMISSION ON 121.5 WAS MADE ANNOUNCING OUR POS AND SITUATION -- NO REPLY WAS HEARD TO THE RADIO CALL. I'M ALSO UNCERTAIN IF OUR EMER SQUAWK WAS PAINTED ON RADAR DUE TO THE ALT AND POS OF THE INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, A TELEPHONE CALL WAS MADE TO LANSING FSS TO ADVISE THEM NO EMER EXISTED AND ALL WAS OK. AFTER THE TELEPHONE CALL, THE ACFT WAS RESTARTED AND FLOWN BACK TO THE HOME BASE ARPT (3HE). CFI TRAINING SHOULD STRESS THE MIXTURE SHOULD NEVER BE PULLED TO SIMULATE EMER PROCS. IN THIS CASE IT CREATED AN EMER FROM A NORMAL SITUATION. I WAS FORTUNATE TO NOT ONLY HAVE A SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND SAFELY BUT TO ALSO EXECUTE THE LNDG WITHOUT ERROR. HAD EITHER OF THOSE FACTORS WORKED AGAINST ME, IT WOULD HAVE CREATED AN ACCIDENT.

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.