Narrative:

Student training flight. Flying under TCA (msp) aircraft rented. Student is brother-in-law. Passengers: my wife who is also a student pilot and their mother. Flying over other brother's home to take pictures, slow flight and student pulled mixture instead of carburetor heat, killing engine. He got panicked instead of doing as trained, probably because first time with sister and mother. He lost altitude and I made him figure out problem and we got low but I felt the lesson he learned from it was needed. I took aircraft and showed him what he should have done and demonstrated what he did and how he could have actually landed if engine had quit. We were not buzzing but when we landed at fcm tower called and wanted us to call on phone. I was told to call sheriff who had me call plymouth police department. I explained it to them and they said no problem. Student learned to look at what he pulls, pushes, and flips. No safety was violated. No lives were endangered. Not the best training situation at all, but I wanted to demonstrate right then as it was fresh on their minds to make the right impression for safety to prevent future accidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PULLED MIXTURE INSTEAD OF CARBURETOR HEAT TO PREPARE FOR SLOW FLT FOR PICTURE TAKING OVER RESIDENTIAL AREA.

Narrative: STUDENT TRAINING FLT. FLYING UNDER TCA (MSP) ACFT RENTED. STUDENT IS BROTHER-IN-LAW. PAXS: MY WIFE WHO IS ALSO A STUDENT PLT AND THEIR MOTHER. FLYING OVER OTHER BROTHER'S HOME TO TAKE PICTURES, SLOW FLT AND STUDENT PULLED MIXTURE INSTEAD OF CARBURETOR HEAT, KILLING ENGINE. HE GOT PANICKED INSTEAD OF DOING AS TRAINED, PROBABLY BECAUSE FIRST TIME WITH SISTER AND MOTHER. HE LOST ALT AND I MADE HIM FIGURE OUT PROBLEM AND WE GOT LOW BUT I FELT THE LESSON HE LEARNED FROM IT WAS NEEDED. I TOOK ACFT AND SHOWED HIM WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE AND DEMONSTRATED WHAT HE DID AND HOW HE COULD HAVE ACTUALLY LANDED IF ENGINE HAD QUIT. WE WERE NOT BUZZING BUT WHEN WE LANDED AT FCM TWR CALLED AND WANTED US TO CALL ON PHONE. I WAS TOLD TO CALL SHERIFF WHO HAD ME CALL PLYMOUTH POLICE DEPT. I EXPLAINED IT TO THEM AND THEY SAID NO PROBLEM. STUDENT LEARNED TO LOOK AT WHAT HE PULLS, PUSHES, AND FLIPS. NO SAFETY WAS VIOLATED. NO LIVES WERE ENDANGERED. NOT THE BEST TRAINING SITUATION AT ALL, BUT I WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE RIGHT THEN AS IT WAS FRESH ON THEIR MINDS TO MAKE THE RIGHT IMPRESSION FOR SAFETY TO PREVENT FUTURE ACCIDENTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.