Narrative:

My student and I were to complete a local flight for touch-and-go practice. The conditions at the airport were good flight conditions. The wind was very light and variable; and the visibility was good. We completed preflight preparation and taxiing checklists. Then we taxied for departure. We proceeded with the takeoff and all indications on the instruments were in limitations for departure. Next; we experienced complete engine failure at 200 ft AGL. As the PIC; I took over the controls from my student in preparation for an emergency landing. I proceeded to make a 90 degree left turn towards the golf course. I chose the golf course as a suitable landing area because we were unable to turn back to the airport due to low altitude. While I descended towards the golf course; I shut off the fuel supply and the mixture. However; I left on the master switch and the magnetos due to lack of time and altitude. I explained to the inspector on site that I had left them on. I then lined up for a fairway that did not have golfers on it. I chose hole #9 which is a PAR 5 and made a very successful landing. The adjacent fairways both had golfers on the holes so I decided to stay away from those fairways and chose one that did not have golfers on it. We landed safely on the fairway with no injuries and no damage to the aircraft or to the golf course. After landing; we secured the area and waited for help. Help arrived in a matter of mins. We walked out with no injuries to my student and I; but noticed the left fuel tank leaking. This was verified by 2 gentlemen on the golf course. The FAA inspector arrived on site where I explained the situation. I have 3 prior incidents with this particular aircraft with substantial power loss. In one incident; it required us to turn the aircraft back to the airport. The incident is still under investigation. The FAA inspector praised me; along with many other golfers on how the whole incident played out. I made a smooth landing on the fairway which contributed to no damage to the aircraft. The incident is now a maintenance issue; and no pilot error was contributed to the emergency landing. We made quick decisions; and took immediate action to fix the problem. The FAA is investigating the fuel tank issue and looks like the contributing factor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: it appears that the engine quit due to lack of fuel because of problems with the aircraft's fuel system; although this is only a preliminary assessment. The aircraft has given trouble previously though nothing that required an off-airport landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 FLT INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT RPTS ENG FAILURE SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WITH ENSUING SAFE EMER LNDG ON A GOLF COURSE.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE TO COMPLETE A LCL FLT FOR TOUCH-AND-GO PRACTICE. THE CONDITIONS AT THE ARPT WERE GOOD FLT CONDITIONS. THE WIND WAS VERY LIGHT AND VARIABLE; AND THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. WE COMPLETED PREFLT PREPARATION AND TAXIING CHKLISTS. THEN WE TAXIED FOR DEP. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE TKOF AND ALL INDICATIONS ON THE INSTS WERE IN LIMITATIONS FOR DEP. NEXT; WE EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENG FAILURE AT 200 FT AGL. AS THE PIC; I TOOK OVER THE CTLS FROM MY STUDENT IN PREPARATION FOR AN EMER LNDG. I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A 90 DEG L TURN TOWARDS THE GOLF COURSE. I CHOSE THE GOLF COURSE AS A SUITABLE LNDG AREA BECAUSE WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN BACK TO THE ARPT DUE TO LOW ALT. WHILE I DSNDED TOWARDS THE GOLF COURSE; I SHUT OFF THE FUEL SUPPLY AND THE MIXTURE. HOWEVER; I LEFT ON THE MASTER SWITCH AND THE MAGNETOS DUE TO LACK OF TIME AND ALT. I EXPLAINED TO THE INSPECTOR ON SITE THAT I HAD LEFT THEM ON. I THEN LINED UP FOR A FAIRWAY THAT DID NOT HAVE GOLFERS ON IT. I CHOSE HOLE #9 WHICH IS A PAR 5 AND MADE A VERY SUCCESSFUL LNDG. THE ADJACENT FAIRWAYS BOTH HAD GOLFERS ON THE HOLES SO I DECIDED TO STAY AWAY FROM THOSE FAIRWAYS AND CHOSE ONE THAT DID NOT HAVE GOLFERS ON IT. WE LANDED SAFELY ON THE FAIRWAY WITH NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR TO THE GOLF COURSE. AFTER LNDG; WE SECURED THE AREA AND WAITED FOR HELP. HELP ARRIVED IN A MATTER OF MINS. WE WALKED OUT WITH NO INJURIES TO MY STUDENT AND I; BUT NOTICED THE L FUEL TANK LEAKING. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY 2 GENTLEMEN ON THE GOLF COURSE. THE FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON SITE WHERE I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. I HAVE 3 PRIOR INCIDENTS WITH THIS PARTICULAR ACFT WITH SUBSTANTIAL PWR LOSS. IN ONE INCIDENT; IT REQUIRED US TO TURN THE ACFT BACK TO THE ARPT. THE INCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE FAA INSPECTOR PRAISED ME; ALONG WITH MANY OTHER GOLFERS ON HOW THE WHOLE INCIDENT PLAYED OUT. I MADE A SMOOTH LNDG ON THE FAIRWAY WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE INCIDENT IS NOW A MAINT ISSUE; AND NO PLT ERROR WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EMER LNDG. WE MADE QUICK DECISIONS; AND TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO FIX THE PROB. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING THE FUEL TANK ISSUE AND LOOKS LIKE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: IT APPEARS THAT THE ENG QUIT DUE TO LACK OF FUEL BECAUSE OF PROBS WITH THE ACFT'S FUEL SYS; ALTHOUGH THIS IS ONLY A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT. THE ACFT HAS GIVEN TROUBLE PREVIOUSLY THOUGH NOTHING THAT REQUIRED AN OFF-ARPT LNDG.

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.