Flight instructor in an small aircraft sel gives a simulated engine failure to a student pilot durin...

Attributes
ACN	350885
Time
Date	199610
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ves
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 1660 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	350885
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This was to be the last dual instructional flight for my primary student prior to his private chkride and we were practicing some maneuvers. However, we had experienced difficulty starting the aircraft for our initial departure from 3i7 to ves. Consultation with the mechanic on duty led us to believe that a weak battery was the culprit and he hand- propped our plane. We expected the low battery to be charging throughout the flight, and even when I saw the alternator gauge showing no major charge going to the battery, I did not realize that the battery was not the problem. At ves, I elected to simulate an engine failure during the takeoff roll, never expecting for the airplane to become airborne, and the 4500 ft long runway was more than adequate for the maneuver. Never before had I simulated an engine failure by pulling the mixture, instead I would retard the throttle to idle. This time I pulled the mixture. The student did become airborne in ground effect about 2 ft AGL, but he handled the situation properly. Then I put the mixture back into the rich position with the propellers still windmilling, expecting the engine to fire immediately. It didn't. The engine and propellers just stopped. As I it turned out, the battery was not the problem. It was a bad starter motor. And now the starter would not even turn the propeller. Neither of us had any experience hand-propping, so we pushed the aircraft out of the way onto (or rather adjacent to) the parallel taxiway and I issued a NOTAM concerning the aircraft and its parked location at ves. Pulling the mixture was not a good idea and I will not do that again. However, once the engine had quit, I'm glad we had the resolve not to try hand- propping in an effort to get home. It's a lot better to endure some inconvenience than to lose an arm trying to hand-propeller an airplane for the first time in the dark.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR IN AN SMA SEL GIVES A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE TO A STUDENT PLT DURING TKOF ROLL RESULTING IN THE COMPLETE ENG STOPPAGE. EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE A FEW FT, IT WAS STOPPED SAFELY ON THE RWY AND THEN PUSHED OFF ON TO THE SIDE.

Narrative: THIS WAS TO BE THE LAST DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT FOR MY PRIMARY STUDENT PRIOR TO HIS PVT CHKRIDE AND WE WERE PRACTICING SOME MANEUVERS. HOWEVER, WE HAD EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY STARTING THE ACFT FOR OUR INITIAL DEP FROM 3I7 TO VES. CONSULTATION WITH THE MECH ON DUTY LED US TO BELIEVE THAT A WEAK BATTERY WAS THE CULPRIT AND HE HAND- PROPPED OUR PLANE. WE EXPECTED THE LOW BATTERY TO BE CHARGING THROUGHOUT THE FLT, AND EVEN WHEN I SAW THE ALTERNATOR GAUGE SHOWING NO MAJOR CHARGE GOING TO THE BATTERY, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE BATTERY WAS NOT THE PROB. AT VES, I ELECTED TO SIMULATE AN ENG FAILURE DURING THE TKOF ROLL, NEVER EXPECTING FOR THE AIRPLANE TO BECOME AIRBORNE, AND THE 4500 FT LONG RWY WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR THE MANEUVER. NEVER BEFORE HAD I SIMULATED AN ENG FAILURE BY PULLING THE MIXTURE, INSTEAD I WOULD RETARD THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. THIS TIME I PULLED THE MIXTURE. THE STUDENT DID BECOME AIRBORNE IN GND EFFECT ABOUT 2 FT AGL, BUT HE HANDLED THE SIT PROPERLY. THEN I PUT THE MIXTURE BACK INTO THE RICH POS WITH THE PROPS STILL WINDMILLING, EXPECTING THE ENG TO FIRE IMMEDIATELY. IT DIDN'T. THE ENG AND PROPS JUST STOPPED. AS I IT TURNED OUT, THE BATTERY WAS NOT THE PROB. IT WAS A BAD STARTER MOTOR. AND NOW THE STARTER WOULD NOT EVEN TURN THE PROP. NEITHER OF US HAD ANY EXPERIENCE HAND-PROPPING, SO WE PUSHED THE ACFT OUT OF THE WAY ONTO (OR RATHER ADJACENT TO) THE PARALLEL TXWY AND I ISSUED A NOTAM CONCERNING THE ACFT AND ITS PARKED LOCATION AT VES. PULLING THE MIXTURE WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA AND I WILL NOT DO THAT AGAIN. HOWEVER, ONCE THE ENG HAD QUIT, I'M GLAD WE HAD THE RESOLVE NOT TO TRY HAND- PROPPING IN AN EFFORT TO GET HOME. IT'S A LOT BETTER TO ENDURE SOME INCONVENIENCE THAN TO LOSE AN ARM TRYING TO HAND-PROP AN AIRPLANE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE DARK.

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

Flight instructor in an small aircraft sel gives a simulated engine failure to a student pilot during takeoff roll resulting in the complete engine stoppage. Even though the aircraft became airborne a few ft, it was stopped safely on the runway and then pushed off on to the side.