What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The goal for April 4, 2016 was to familiarize the student with the BE35 so he could obtain his high performance endorsement within the next couple of flights.
Engine start at 2:50 pm and were airborne at 3:05 pm. Departed kgmu on the left tank as the POH prescribes. Flew west leveled off at 3000'. Instructed the student through the fundamentals, slow flight, engine out glide, an airborne traffic pattern. At 3:40 switched to the right fuel tank and proceeded to kand for a couple of traffic patterns. First landing, exited the runway and taxied back to the hold short. The fuel was switched back to the left tank for takeoff as the POH prescribes. Second was a stop and go, still on the left tank and the third was a full stop taxi back. Left tank read lower than right tank, took off and flew back to kgmu on the right tank. Leveling off at 3500' the crew performed a cruise checklist. Shorthly thereafter, the engine began to run rough and shut down. Emergency procedure was initiated and attempts were made to restart the engine. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, pilots declared an emergency and selected a free field to land. Touched down at 4:25 pm. No personal injuries occurred. Minor damage to aircraft. After landing the crew exited the aircraft and performed a visual check of the left and right fuel tanks. The right tank was still almost full and the left fuel tank was nearly dry. An investigation by the crew, determined that the student did not properly change the fuel selector. The fuel selector must be in a subtle detent prior to turning. The student never felt the detent prior to changing the fuel selector. Therefore, the aircraft ran the entire time off the left tank causing the fuel to be exhausted.
As the FAA filed it
THE GOAL FOR APRIL 4, 2016 WAS TO FAMILIARIZE THE STUDENT WITH THE BE35 SO HE COULD OBTAIN HIS HIGH PERFORMANCE ENDORSEMENT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF FLIGHTS.
ENGINE START AT 2:50 PM AND WERE AIRBORNE AT 3:05 PM. DEPARTED KGMU ON THE LEFT TANK AS THE POH PRESCRIBES. FLEW WEST LEVELED OFF AT 3000'. INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT THROUGH THE FUNDAMENTALS, SLOW FLIGHT, ENGINE OUT GLIDE, AN AIRBORNE TRAFFIC PATTERN. AT 3:40 SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND PROCEEDED TO KAND FOR A COUPLE OF TRAFFIC PATTERNS. FIRST LANDING, EXITED THE RUNWAY AND TAXIED BACK TO THE HOLD SHORT. THE FUEL WAS SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT TANK FOR TAKEOFF AS THE POH PRESCRIBES. SECOND WAS A STOP AND GO, STILL ON THE LEFT TANK AND THE THIRD WAS A FULL STOP TAXI BACK. LEFT TANK READ LOWER THAN RIGHT TANK, TOOK OFF AND FLEW BACK TO KGMU ON THE RIGHT TANK. LEVELING OFF AT 3500' THE CREW PERFORMED A CRUISE CHECKLIST. SHORTHLY THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND SHUT DOWN. EMERGENCY PROCEDURE WAS INITIATED AND ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. AFTER A COUPLE OF UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE, PILOTS DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND SELECTED A FREE FIELD TO LAND. TOUCHED DOWN AT 4:25 PM. NO PERSONAL INJURIES OCCURRED. MINOR DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. AFTER LANDING THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED A VISUAL CHECK OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS. THE RIGHT TANK WAS STILL ALMOST FULL AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS NEARLY DRY. AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CREW, DETERMINED THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT PROPERLY CHANGE THE FUEL SELECTOR. THE FUEL SELECTOR MUST BE IN A SUBTLE DETENT PRIOR TO TURNING. THE STUDENT NEVER FELT THE DETENT PRIOR TO CHANGING THE FUEL SELECTOR. THEREFORE, THE AIRCRAFT RAN THE ENTIRE TIME OFF THE LEFT TANK CAUSING THE FUEL TO BE EXHAUSTED.
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