Narrative:

We were just doing a local training flight and came back to gfk for some stop-and-goes. We did 1 landing on runway 35R and took off again. Tower advised us to enter a left downwind for runway 35L. We did as instructed and did a stop-and-go. We took off again and were on downwind. We did our prelndg checks which includes boost pump on, carburetor heat on, mixture rich, and switch tanks. We switched tanks from the left to the right tank. We turned to base and added the second notch of flaps and we were going to turn for final and the engine lost all power. Fuel pressure went to zero and I took control of the aircraft. I advised tower that I was not going to make the runway, declared an emergency. I started to go through the emergency flow and the checklists. Before we landed I turned off the battery master, alternator switch, throttle went to idle, mixture idle cutoff, magnetos off, and fuel selector off. As I landed, I nicked the top of a ford escort with my right strobe light. I coasted to a stop in the median of united states highway 2. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that after investigation on the engine of the piper PA28-161, there still was no cause found for the loss of fuel pressure and the engine stopping. The aircraft was found to have 12 and 14 gallons of fuel respectively, indicating that a lack of fuel available was not the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT OF A PIPER PA28-161 TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FROM HIS STUDENT WHEN THE ENG QUIT ON BASE LEG AND MADE AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG ON A HWY. THE ACFT'S R WING STROBE LIGHT HIT THE TOP OF A VEHICLE DURING TOUCHDOWN.

Narrative: WE WERE JUST DOING A LCL TRAINING FLT AND CAME BACK TO GFK FOR SOME STOP-AND-GOES. WE DID 1 LNDG ON RWY 35R AND TOOK OFF AGAIN. TWR ADVISED US TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35L. WE DID AS INSTRUCTED AND DID A STOP-AND-GO. WE TOOK OFF AGAIN AND WERE ON DOWNWIND. WE DID OUR PRELNDG CHKS WHICH INCLUDES BOOST PUMP ON, CARB HEAT ON, MIXTURE RICH, AND SWITCH TANKS. WE SWITCHED TANKS FROM THE L TO THE R TANK. WE TURNED TO BASE AND ADDED THE SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS AND WE WERE GOING TO TURN FOR FINAL AND THE ENG LOST ALL PWR. FUEL PRESSURE WENT TO ZERO AND I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT. I ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RWY, DECLARED AN EMER. I STARTED TO GO THROUGH THE EMER FLOW AND THE CHKLISTS. BEFORE WE LANDED I TURNED OFF THE BATTERY MASTER, ALTERNATOR SWITCH, THROTTLE WENT TO IDLE, MIXTURE IDLE CUTOFF, MAGNETOS OFF, AND FUEL SELECTOR OFF. AS I LANDED, I NICKED THE TOP OF A FORD ESCORT WITH MY R STROBE LIGHT. I COASTED TO A STOP IN THE MEDIAN OF UNITED STATES HWY 2. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AFTER INVESTIGATION ON THE ENG OF THE PIPER PA28-161, THERE STILL WAS NO CAUSE FOUND FOR THE LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE AND THE ENG STOPPING. THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE 12 AND 14 GALLONS OF FUEL RESPECTIVELY, INDICATING THAT A LACK OF FUEL AVAILABLE WAS NOT THE PROB.

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.