Narrative:

I am an instructor. A student (left seat) and I (right seat) were flying in his PA28-180 on a routine training flight in his airplane. The lesson plan was for a flight to a twred airport to train on communications and procedures in class D airspace. We had an uneventful flight departing our home base airport about XA20 am to class D with a full-stop landing there. Preflight and departure were normal with visual check of fuel level confirming at least 1/2 tank each side pre-departure. To demonstrate to check on activity of local restr airspace; I demonstrated to use/call departure of local class B departure to determine if restr area was active or not. It was. A routine approach to class D (although the pattern was busy requiring a left 360 degrees on 3-MI final at tower request and s-turns on final as a katana turned base to final inside us) with full-stop landing was realized; and after 1 landing to a full-stop; we departed back for home base. As I recall; we had flown down on the left tank. Upon our return and about 10 NM out at about 6500 ft; I observed and commented to the student that the opposite tank gauge indicated slightly more fuel and that we would want to switch to it upon entry into the pattern at our uncontrolled home base. Approach to home base was normal. About XB10 pm; we entered on a 45 degree entry (from the west side) to a right downwind to runway xx which is standard for this airport. All communications were normal. Upon entering the pattern at 5400 ft; we pwred back to 2000 FPM. At midfield on right downwind; we did our 1ST pre-landing checklist; pcgumpsl; fuel pump on; carburetor heat on; fuel on the fullest tank; wheels down; mixture for landing; propeller; seat belts; and landing light. We switched to the fullest tank; the right one (as I recall). Downwind was normal. Abeam the numbers of the approach end of the runway; we added 1ST notch of flaps and pwred back to 1800 RPM. A tighter than normal right base was turned due to strong 18-20 KT winds out of the south. About the time we rolled onto wings level on final; we seemed to lose power. The student and I both reached to advance the throttle at the same time. The engine did not respond. We did an immediate check of master; magnetos; fuel pump; carburetor heat; mixture. I called for a switch back to opposite tank (in the PA28 the switch is on the left seat side) and took control of the plane. (I could not affirm that the fuel selector had been moved into the correct position as I had my hands full at that time and things were happening rapidly. However; I did look at it after landing; and it seemed to be in the proper location. This student and I have flown 10-15 hours together and he has switched tanks many times and is familiar with the procedure.) after switching tanks; the engine seemed to respond for 1-2 seconds but would not make power. IAS was -70 KTS. Best glide is 76 KTS which I pitched to immediately. I thought we would/could make the runway. We were on 1 mi final. But with the strong headwind and the older hershey-bar wing design; with no power; the sink rate was rapid. Events developed quickly. In retrospect; it seems like time was short from lack-of-power to landing in the field; maybe 30 seconds. It became obvious we wouldn't make the runway. There was no time to attempt a restart. I do not recall if the propeller was turning. As the ground was approaching rapidly; I worried about getting over the ditch that runs ew about 1/2 mi north of the approach end of runway 16. We made it over that. My next concern was not allowing the nose gear to bog down in the 10-12 inches of snow and FLIP us over. So; as we approached the ground; I applied back pressure to raise the nose and plant the mains in the snow. We landed right at stall. This was successful and I believe kept us from flipping over. We slid on a straight track for about 30 yds and then seemed to veer to an immediate left and come to a stop. As we were in about 10 inches of snow; the nose gear may have hit a rock or rut or hole to veer us slightly left. We stopped upright and safe. I called the FBO on CTAF to announce we had landed in the field; were safe and uninjured; and to call airport authority/authorized. We then proceeded to shut down all electrical to exitthe plane as quickly as possible. Upon exit; immediate damage to the plane was not obvious. All gear were intact. There were no injuries to my student or myself. The airport; class G airspace at the surface was not required to close and the aircraft was towed to its hangar by the FBO. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the cause of the engine failure has not been determined. As of this date the aircraft is still in a maintenance status.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA 28'S ENG QUIT ON APCH TO A CTAF ARPT WITH INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON BOARD. A SAFE OFF ARPT LANDING FOLLOWED ONTO A SNOW COVERED FIELD.

Narrative: I AM AN INSTRUCTOR. A STUDENT (L SEAT) AND I (R SEAT) WERE FLYING IN HIS PA28-180 ON A ROUTINE TRAINING FLT IN HIS AIRPLANE. THE LESSON PLAN WAS FOR A FLT TO A TWRED ARPT TO TRAIN ON COMS AND PROCS IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT DEPARTING OUR HOME BASE ARPT ABOUT XA20 AM TO CLASS D WITH A FULL-STOP LNDG THERE. PREFLT AND DEP WERE NORMAL WITH VISUAL CHK OF FUEL LEVEL CONFIRMING AT LEAST 1/2 TANK EACH SIDE PRE-DEP. TO DEMONSTRATE TO CHK ON ACTIVITY OF LCL RESTR AIRSPACE; I DEMONSTRATED TO USE/CALL DEP OF LCL CLASS B DEP TO DETERMINE IF RESTR AREA WAS ACTIVE OR NOT. IT WAS. A ROUTINE APCH TO CLASS D (ALTHOUGH THE PATTERN WAS BUSY REQUIRING A L 360 DEGS ON 3-MI FINAL AT TWR REQUEST AND S-TURNS ON FINAL AS A KATANA TURNED BASE TO FINAL INSIDE US) WITH FULL-STOP LNDG WAS REALIZED; AND AFTER 1 LNDG TO A FULL-STOP; WE DEPARTED BACK FOR HOME BASE. AS I RECALL; WE HAD FLOWN DOWN ON THE L TANK. UPON OUR RETURN AND ABOUT 10 NM OUT AT ABOUT 6500 FT; I OBSERVED AND COMMENTED TO THE STUDENT THAT THE OPPOSITE TANK GAUGE INDICATED SLIGHTLY MORE FUEL AND THAT WE WOULD WANT TO SWITCH TO IT UPON ENTRY INTO THE PATTERN AT OUR UNCTLED HOME BASE. APCH TO HOME BASE WAS NORMAL. ABOUT XB10 PM; WE ENTERED ON A 45 DEG ENTRY (FROM THE W SIDE) TO A R DOWNWIND TO RWY XX WHICH IS STANDARD FOR THIS ARPT. ALL COMS WERE NORMAL. UPON ENTERING THE PATTERN AT 5400 FT; WE PWRED BACK TO 2000 FPM. AT MIDFIELD ON R DOWNWIND; WE DID OUR 1ST PRE-LNDG CHKLIST; PCGUMPSL; FUEL PUMP ON; CARB HEAT ON; FUEL ON THE FULLEST TANK; WHEELS DOWN; MIXTURE FOR LNDG; PROP; SEAT BELTS; AND LNDG LIGHT. WE SWITCHED TO THE FULLEST TANK; THE R ONE (AS I RECALL). DOWNWIND WAS NORMAL. ABEAM THE NUMBERS OF THE APCH END OF THE RWY; WE ADDED 1ST NOTCH OF FLAPS AND PWRED BACK TO 1800 RPM. A TIGHTER THAN NORMAL R BASE WAS TURNED DUE TO STRONG 18-20 KT WINDS OUT OF THE S. ABOUT THE TIME WE ROLLED ONTO WINGS LEVEL ON FINAL; WE SEEMED TO LOSE PWR. THE STUDENT AND I BOTH REACHED TO ADVANCE THE THROTTLE AT THE SAME TIME. THE ENG DID NOT RESPOND. WE DID AN IMMEDIATE CHK OF MASTER; MAGNETOS; FUEL PUMP; CARB HEAT; MIXTURE. I CALLED FOR A SWITCH BACK TO OPPOSITE TANK (IN THE PA28 THE SWITCH IS ON THE L SEAT SIDE) AND TOOK CTL OF THE PLANE. (I COULD NOT AFFIRM THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR HAD BEEN MOVED INTO THE CORRECT POS AS I HAD MY HANDS FULL AT THAT TIME AND THINGS WERE HAPPENING RAPIDLY. HOWEVER; I DID LOOK AT IT AFTER LNDG; AND IT SEEMED TO BE IN THE PROPER LOCATION. THIS STUDENT AND I HAVE FLOWN 10-15 HRS TOGETHER AND HE HAS SWITCHED TANKS MANY TIMES AND IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROC.) AFTER SWITCHING TANKS; THE ENG SEEMED TO RESPOND FOR 1-2 SECONDS BUT WOULD NOT MAKE PWR. IAS WAS -70 KTS. BEST GLIDE IS 76 KTS WHICH I PITCHED TO IMMEDIATELY. I THOUGHT WE WOULD/COULD MAKE THE RWY. WE WERE ON 1 MI FINAL. BUT WITH THE STRONG HEADWIND AND THE OLDER HERSHEY-BAR WING DESIGN; WITH NO PWR; THE SINK RATE WAS RAPID. EVENTS DEVELOPED QUICKLY. IN RETROSPECT; IT SEEMS LIKE TIME WAS SHORT FROM LACK-OF-PWR TO LNDG IN THE FIELD; MAYBE 30 SECONDS. IT BECAME OBVIOUS WE WOULDN'T MAKE THE RWY. THERE WAS NO TIME TO ATTEMPT A RESTART. I DO NOT RECALL IF THE PROP WAS TURNING. AS THE GND WAS APCHING RAPIDLY; I WORRIED ABOUT GETTING OVER THE DITCH THAT RUNS EW ABOUT 1/2 MI N OF THE APCH END OF RWY 16. WE MADE IT OVER THAT. MY NEXT CONCERN WAS NOT ALLOWING THE NOSE GEAR TO BOG DOWN IN THE 10-12 INCHES OF SNOW AND FLIP US OVER. SO; AS WE APCHED THE GND; I APPLIED BACK PRESSURE TO RAISE THE NOSE AND PLANT THE MAINS IN THE SNOW. WE LANDED RIGHT AT STALL. THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I BELIEVE KEPT US FROM FLIPPING OVER. WE SLID ON A STRAIGHT TRACK FOR ABOUT 30 YDS AND THEN SEEMED TO VEER TO AN IMMEDIATE L AND COME TO A STOP. AS WE WERE IN ABOUT 10 INCHES OF SNOW; THE NOSE GEAR MAY HAVE HIT A ROCK OR RUT OR HOLE TO VEER US SLIGHTLY L. WE STOPPED UPRIGHT AND SAFE. I CALLED THE FBO ON CTAF TO ANNOUNCE WE HAD LANDED IN THE FIELD; WERE SAFE AND UNINJURED; AND TO CALL ARPT AUTH. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL TO EXITTHE PLANE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UPON EXIT; IMMEDIATE DAMAGE TO THE PLANE WAS NOT OBVIOUS. ALL GEAR WERE INTACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO MY STUDENT OR MYSELF. THE ARPT; CLASS G AIRSPACE AT THE SURFACE WAS NOT REQUIRED TO CLOSE AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO ITS HANGAR BY THE FBO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. AS OF THIS DATE THE ACFT IS STILL IN A MAINTENANCE STATUS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.