What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A flight instructor with an ATP pilot certificate was conducting flight instruction on an airman who held a commercial pilot certificate. The purpose of the flight was training to prepare the commercial pilot for a certified flight instructor practical test. The pilots had been flying for about 1 hour conducting multiple maneuvers. At around 2700 feet MSL the engine quit running. The instructor assumed the controls and conducted an unpowered landing in a cultivated agricultural field. There were no injuries and the aircraft sustained no damage. Examination of the aircraft revealed that the right fuel tank contained an estimated 12 gallons of fuel. The left wing tank after draining it contained 2 to 3 cups of fuel. The fuel gauges indicated between 10 and 15 gallons on the right tank. The left tank indicated empty. With the fuel selector set to the right tank the engine was started in a normal manner and ran with no defects noted. The pilots reported that they began the flight on the left fuel tank and never switched tanks prior to the engine failing. During the unpowered decent the pilots reported never switching tanks or running any emergency checklists.
As the FAA filed it
A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WITH AN ATP PILOT CERTIFICATE WAS CONDUCTING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION ON AN AIRMAN WHO HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TRAINING TO PREPARE THE COMMERCIAL PILOT FOR A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PRACTICAL TEST. THE PILOTS HAD BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR CONDUCTING MULTIPLE MANEUVERS. AT AROUND 2700 FEET MSL THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. THE INSTRUCTOR ASSUMED THE CONTROLS AND CONDUCTED AN UNPOWERED LANDING IN A CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL FIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED AN ESTIMATED 12 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE LEFT WING TANK AFTER DRAINING IT CONTAINED 2 TO 3 CUPS OF FUEL. THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED BETWEEN 10 AND 15 GALLONS ON THE RIGHT TANK. THE LEFT TANK INDICATED EMPTY. WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR SET TO THE RIGHT TANK THE ENGINE WAS STARTED IN A NORMAL MANNER AND RAN WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. THE PILOTS REPORTED THAT THEY BEGAN THE FLIGHT ON THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND NEVER SWITCHED TANKS PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILING. DURING THE UNPOWERED DECENT THE PILOTS REPORTED NEVER SWITCHING TANKS OR RUNNING ANY EMERGENCY CHECKLISTS.
Other reports on N12354 · 1
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