Narrative:

After multiple priming attempts; the aircraft restarted; demonstrating that the cause of the failure was potentially fuel starvation; although our fuel tanks still contained 8 and 10 gallons of fuel; respectively. Realizing that the aircraft; having sustained no damage; was capable of taxiing through this relatively flat; firm field; my student and I decided to taxi to a dirt service road approximately 400 yards away. Upon reaching the dirt road; I again radioed the traffic in the practice area to update them on our status. We ran up the plane at full power with no abnormal indications. We examined the condition of the dirt road; which was smooth and flat; and just wide enough for both of our main tires. This occurrence took place during a training flight with myself; the instructor; and a student pilot during emergency training in VFR conditions over a practice area in a C150. During a simulated engine failure; I pulled the throttle to idle to simulate the failure and the student continued to flight at best glide speed; choosing a service road as his intended landing point and troubleshooting the simulated problem by adding carburetor heat and checking the fuel system. As the student was setting up to land; he realized that he would not be able to maneuver over to the service road; and instead changed his landing area to a prairie field. At this point; the engine had been idling for approximately 4 mins. At an estimated altitude of 600 ft AGL; as I instructed the student to add power and go around; the engine coughed momentarily; and did not respond when the student added full power. I took control of the plane and planned for a straight landing ahead. I flared and held the aircraft off the ground as long as possible; and when we touched down; we bounced through the filed; finally coming to a stop approximately 300-400 after touching down. Having analyzed the situation extensively; we both acknowledged that our decision to take off would not present an active danger to others; and we; having identified the cause of the failure; would not be in a position to have the engine fail again. We made the decision to take off. I informed the aircraft above us of our intentions; and they were glad to offer assistance in watching over us during our takeoff and climb out. The student and I also marked off a point on the road which would be our go/no-go decision point. We ran up the aircraft for a final time; still with normal indications; and began our takeoff roll. Our wheels were off the ground just after our decision point; and our estimate of 600 ft on the ground roll was about 100 ft more than we needed. I held the plane in ground effect until we had sufficient climb speed and continued the climb and cruise back home without incident. The cause of the failure has not been determined; as the aircraft is still in maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT MADE A FORCED LNDG IN A FIELD AFTER ENG FAILED TO RESPOND DURING A SIMULATED ENG-OUT APCH.

Narrative: AFTER MULTIPLE PRIMING ATTEMPTS; THE ACFT RESTARTED; DEMONSTRATING THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS POTENTIALLY FUEL STARVATION; ALTHOUGH OUR FUEL TANKS STILL CONTAINED 8 AND 10 GALLONS OF FUEL; RESPECTIVELY. REALIZING THAT THE ACFT; HAVING SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE; WAS CAPABLE OF TAXIING THROUGH THIS RELATIVELY FLAT; FIRM FIELD; MY STUDENT AND I DECIDED TO TAXI TO A DIRT SVC ROAD APPROX 400 YARDS AWAY. UPON REACHING THE DIRT ROAD; I AGAIN RADIOED THE TFC IN THE PRACTICE AREA TO UPDATE THEM ON OUR STATUS. WE RAN UP THE PLANE AT FULL PWR WITH NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. WE EXAMINED THE CONDITION OF THE DIRT ROAD; WHICH WAS SMOOTH AND FLAT; AND JUST WIDE ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF OUR MAIN TIRES. THIS OCCURRENCE TOOK PLACE DURING A TRAINING FLT WITH MYSELF; THE INSTRUCTOR; AND A STUDENT PLT DURING EMER TRAINING IN VFR CONDITIONS OVER A PRACTICE AREA IN A C150. DURING A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE; I PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE TO SIMULATE THE FAILURE AND THE STUDENT CONTINUED TO FLT AT BEST GLIDE SPEED; CHOOSING A SERVICE ROAD AS HIS INTENDED LNDG POINT AND TROUBLESHOOTING THE SIMULATED PROB BY ADDING CARB HEAT AND CHECKING THE FUEL SYSTEM. AS THE STUDENT WAS SETTING UP TO LAND; HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MANEUVER OVER TO THE SERVICE ROAD; AND INSTEAD CHANGED HIS LNDG AREA TO A PRAIRIE FIELD. AT THIS POINT; THE ENG HAD BEEN IDLING FOR APPROX 4 MINS. AT AN ESTIMATED ALT OF 600 FT AGL; AS I INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO ADD POWER AND GO AROUND; THE ENG COUGHED MOMENTARILY; AND DID NOT RESPOND WHEN THE STUDENT ADDED FULL POWER. I TOOK CONTROL OF THE PLANE AND PLANNED FOR A STRAIGHT LANDING AHEAD. I FLARED AND HELD THE ACFT OFF THE GND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE; AND WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN; WE BOUNCED THROUGH THE FILED; FINALLY COMING TO A STOP APPROX 300-400 AFTER TOUCHING DOWN. HAVING ANALYZED THE SITUATION EXTENSIVELY; WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED THAT OUR DECISION TO TAKE OFF WOULD NOT PRESENT AN ACTIVE DANGER TO OTHERS; AND WE; HAVING IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE; WOULD NOT BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE THE ENG FAIL AGAIN. WE MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE OFF. I INFORMED THE ACFT ABOVE US OF OUR INTENTIONS; AND THEY WERE GLAD TO OFFER ASSISTANCE IN WATCHING OVER US DURING OUR TAKEOFF AND CLB OUT. THE STUDENT AND I ALSO MARKED OFF A POINT ON THE ROAD WHICH WOULD BE OUR GO/NO-GO DECISION POINT. WE RAN UP THE ACFT FOR A FINAL TIME; STILL WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS; AND BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL. OUR WHEELS WERE OFF THE GND JUST AFTER OUR DECISION POINT; AND OUR ESTIMATE OF 600 FT ON THE GND ROLL WAS ABOUT 100 FT MORE THAN WE NEEDED. I HELD THE PLANE IN GND EFFECT UNTIL WE HAD SUFFICIENT CLB SPEED AND CONTINUED THE CLB AND CRUISE BACK HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED; AS THE ACFT IS STILL IN MAINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.