Narrative:

I was conducting a flight review for the pilot. His plane was an H model bonanza and he had approximately 300 hours in this aircraft. He had approximately 500 hours of flight experience. As part of the flight review; he indicated he was uncomfortable flying into controled airspace. We planned a flight into a nearby class D airspace approximately 50 mi away. We landed and departed without incident. On the return flight at 3000 ft MSL (2000 ft AGL) the engine suddenly quit without warning. I teach emergencys often and communicated the mental checklist to the pilot. (Cabc-carburetor heat; airspeed (best glide); best landing area; checklist.) we pulled on the carburetor heat and I observed him flying the best glide speed. I immediately started looking for a suitable place to land. The area below was very rugged and there was nothing in gliding distance that even resembled an open field or road; so we made a slow circle to look in all directions. At the same time I told the pilot to switch fuel tanks and he indicated that he had switched to all of the other tanks with no success. The fuel selector is on the left side of the pilot's seat out of my sight; so I could not actually see him move the selector. This happened over approximately a 30 second period. I then switched magnetos with no success. The aircraft has a manual fuel pump which I told the pilot to use to try to get the engine going again; all to no avail. A small road came into sight immediately in front of the aircraft. We landed without incident on the road with no damage to the aircraft or any injury. Later after talking to the pilot I learned in the stressful situation he had switched the fuel gauge switch and not the actual selector fuel valve. We had run out of gas on that tank.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHECK AIRMAN AND PLT OF BE35 MAKE OFF ARPT LNDG FOLLOWING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. DISCOVER FUEL SELECTOR WAS NEVER MOVED TO OTHER 'FULL' TANK.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A FLT REVIEW FOR THE PLT. HIS PLANE WAS AN H MODEL BONANZA AND HE HAD APPROX 300 HRS IN THIS ACFT. HE HAD APPROX 500 HRS OF FLT EXPERIENCE. AS PART OF THE FLT REVIEW; HE INDICATED HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE FLYING INTO CTLED AIRSPACE. WE PLANNED A FLT INTO A NEARBY CLASS D AIRSPACE APPROX 50 MI AWAY. WE LANDED AND DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE RETURN FLT AT 3000 FT MSL (2000 FT AGL) THE ENG SUDDENLY QUIT WITHOUT WARNING. I TEACH EMERS OFTEN AND COMMUNICATED THE MENTAL CHKLIST TO THE PLT. (CABC-CARB HEAT; AIRSPD (BEST GLIDE); BEST LNDG AREA; CHKLIST.) WE PULLED ON THE CARB HEAT AND I OBSERVED HIM FLYING THE BEST GLIDE SPD. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND. THE AREA BELOW WAS VERY RUGGED AND THERE WAS NOTHING IN GLIDING DISTANCE THAT EVEN RESEMBLED AN OPEN FIELD OR ROAD; SO WE MADE A SLOW CIRCLE TO LOOK IN ALL DIRECTIONS. AT THE SAME TIME I TOLD THE PLT TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS AND HE INDICATED THAT HE HAD SWITCHED TO ALL OF THE OTHER TANKS WITH NO SUCCESS. THE FUEL SELECTOR IS ON THE L SIDE OF THE PLT'S SEAT OUT OF MY SIGHT; SO I COULD NOT ACTUALLY SEE HIM MOVE THE SELECTOR. THIS HAPPENED OVER APPROX A 30 SECOND PERIOD. I THEN SWITCHED MAGNETOS WITH NO SUCCESS. THE ACFT HAS A MANUAL FUEL PUMP WHICH I TOLD THE PLT TO USE TO TRY TO GET THE ENG GOING AGAIN; ALL TO NO AVAIL. A SMALL ROAD CAME INTO SIGHT IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT ON THE ROAD WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ANY INJURY. LATER AFTER TALKING TO THE PLT I LEARNED IN THE STRESSFUL SITUATION HE HAD SWITCHED THE FUEL GAUGE SWITCH AND NOT THE ACTUAL SELECTOR FUEL VALVE. WE HAD RUN OUT OF GAS ON THAT TANK.

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.