Narrative:

I was performing a biennial flight review on a person who owned his own plane. He had just had the annual on the aircraft, and this was the first flight after the inspection. We departed osu airport and proceeded to the practice area. After performing minimum ctlable airspeed, stalls, steep turns, I initiated a simulated engine failure by retarding the throttle and applying carburetor heat. After the owner successfully and appropriately accomplished the engine out checklist, I told him to break out of the maneuver and head for dlz. Application of power yielded no results. Fortunately we were within gliding distance of dlz. We accomplished an incident-free engine out landing at dlz. The owner continued to fly the plane while I advised traffic and observed his actions. The enormous time we spend practicing engine outs made the real thing seem 'easy.' maintenance discovered the cotter pin was missing from the throttle linkage to the carburetor, causing the nut to free itself, and consequently, leave us with idle power only. Pilot error, this was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER FORCED LNDG AT NON TWR ARPT WHEN SMA'S ENG GOES TO IDLE PWR AFTER PWR APPLICATION FAILS.

Narrative: I WAS PERFORMING A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW ON A PERSON WHO OWNED HIS OWN PLANE. HE HAD JUST HAD THE ANNUAL ON THE ACFT, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT AFTER THE INSPECTION. WE DEPARTED OSU ARPT AND PROCEEDED TO THE PRACTICE AREA. AFTER PERFORMING MINIMUM CTLABLE AIRSPD, STALLS, STEEP TURNS, I INITIATED A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE BY RETARDING THE THROTTLE AND APPLYING CARB HEAT. AFTER THE OWNER SUCCESSFULLY AND APPROPRIATELY ACCOMPLISHED THE ENG OUT CHKLIST, I TOLD HIM TO BREAK OUT OF THE MANEUVER AND HEAD FOR DLZ. APPLICATION OF PWR YIELDED NO RESULTS. FORTUNATELY WE WERE WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF DLZ. WE ACCOMPLISHED AN INCIDENT-FREE ENG OUT LNDG AT DLZ. THE OWNER CONTINUED TO FLY THE PLANE WHILE I ADVISED TFC AND OBSERVED HIS ACTIONS. THE ENORMOUS TIME WE SPEND PRACTICING ENG OUTS MADE THE REAL THING SEEM 'EASY.' MAINT DISCOVERED THE COTTER PIN WAS MISSING FROM THE THROTTLE LINKAGE TO THE CARB, CAUSING THE NUT TO FREE ITSELF, AND CONSEQUENTLY, LEAVE US WITH IDLE PWR ONLY. PLT ERROR, THIS WAS NOT.

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.