What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was a normal part-141 flight lesson for a regular student. The flight began with a normal pre-flight, normal run up and normal takeoff. The aircraft departed eastbound from north palm beach county airport (F45) toward the ocean, where the student performed slow flight, including climbs, turns, and descents. The student recovered from slow flight. Then progressed to several normal climbing and descending turns. Towards the end of the lesson, the plan was to begin heading back towards F45.
During final maneuver, at 1,000 ft with a target of 1,500 ft (to overfly the field for a teardrop to runway 9R), the student initiated a climbing turn. The student applied full power, which initially reached 2400 RPM, but almost immediately, the RPM dropped to 2200. The flight instructor directed the student to apply full power again, but the RPM continued to fall.
The instructor took the controls and observed the throttle was full, but rpms were decreasing through 2000, then 1600, with the propeller slowing, windmilling, and producing no thrust. Initially, the pilot considered turning towards tailwind airpark (FD15), but ultimately determined there was insufficient altitude to reach that runway safely.
The pilot then selected a potential landing field, ensured that: the fuel shutoff valve was in, the fuel selector was on both, and the mixture was full rich. Following that, and after making continuous attitude and course corrections, the pilot turned the fuel pump on, cycled the magnetos to l–r–both and noted no changed. She then turned the fuel pump off.
The pilot made a series of mayday calls on the F45 CTAF frequency and on guard.
At around 300FT AGL, a landing area had been selected, but the first option ahead was too short with a canal at the end. Maintaining vg, the pilot turned toward a more suitable area and selected 20° flaps, fully expecting an off field landing. At this time, the propeller stopped completely.
The pilot pulled the fuel shutoff valve and mixture to idle cutoff and began the flare. After landing, the student exited the aircraft on the left and the pilot followed out his side.
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS A NORMAL PART-141 FLIGHT LESSON FOR A REGULAR STUDENT. THE FLIGHT BEGAN WITH A NORMAL PRE-FLIGHT, NORMAL RUN UP AND NORMAL TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED EASTBOUND FROM NORTH PALM BEACH COUNTY AIRPORT (F45) TOWARD THE OCEAN, WHERE THE STUDENT PERFORMED SLOW FLIGHT, INCLUDING CLIMBS, TURNS, AND DESCENTS. THE STUDENT RECOVERED FROM SLOW FLIGHT. THEN PROGRESSED TO SEVERAL NORMAL CLIMBING AND DESCENDING TURNS. TOWARDS THE END OF THE LESSON, THE PLAN WAS TO BEGIN HEADING BACK TOWARDS F45.
DURING FINAL MANEUVER, AT 1,000 FT WITH A TARGET OF 1,500 FT (TO OVERFLY THE FIELD FOR A TEARDROP TO RUNWAY 9R), THE STUDENT INITIATED A CLIMBING TURN. THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL POWER, WHICH INITIALLY REACHED 2400 RPM, BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE RPM DROPPED TO 2200. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DIRECTED THE STUDENT TO APPLY FULL POWER AGAIN, BUT THE RPM CONTINUED TO FALL.
THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND OBSERVED THE THROTTLE WAS FULL, BUT RPMS WERE DECREASING THROUGH 2000, THEN 1600, WITH THE PROPELLER SLOWING, WINDMILLING, AND PRODUCING NO THRUST. INITIALLY, THE PILOT CONSIDERED TURNING TOWARDS TAILWIND AIRPARK (FD15), BUT ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO REACH THAT RUNWAY SAFELY.
THE PILOT THEN SELECTED A POTENTIAL LANDING FIELD, ENSURED THAT: THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE WAS IN, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON BOTH, AND THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH. FOLLOWING THAT, AND AFTER MAKING CONTINUOUS ATTITUDE AND COURSE CORRECTIONS, THE PILOT TURNED THE FUEL PUMP ON, CYCLED THE MAGNETOS TO L–R–BOTH AND NOTED NO CHANGED. SHE THEN TURNED THE FUEL PUMP OFF.
THE PILOT MADE A SERIES OF MAYDAY CALLS ON THE F45 CTAF FREQUENCY AND ON GUARD.
AT AROUND 300FT AGL, A LANDING AREA HAD BEEN SELECTED, BUT THE FIRST OPTION AHEAD WAS TOO SHORT WITH A CANAL AT THE END. MAINTAINING VG, THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD A MORE SUITABLE AREA AND SELECTED 20° FLAPS, FULLY EXPECTING AN OFF FIELD LANDING. AT THIS TIME, THE PROPELLER STOPPED COMPLETELY.
THE PILOT PULLED THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE AND MIXTURE TO IDLE CUTOFF AND BEGAN THE FLARE. AFTER LANDING, THE STUDENT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE LEFT AND THE PILOT FOLLOWED OUT HIS SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.