Narrative:

As designated pilot examiner, I was administering a practical test for mr X in a PA44-180 to add-on a multi-engine land rating to his private pilot certificate. He had failed the check ride the day before. The task to be retested. Approach and landing with an inoperative engine (simulated). At 3500 ft, I shut the right fuel valve off. When the engine quit the applicant correctly idented the failed engine. After he feathered the right engine, I turned the fuel back on, took it out of feather, gave neutral thrust and asked what he would do next. He said he would troubleshoot it. (Should have done it before feathering.) I said you can't find the problem so where are we going to go? He said culpepper airport. As he headed for the culpepper airport, I asked him what runway were they using? At this point he tuned in the culpepper information and instead of landing straight in, he added power, retracted the gear and started a left close-in downwind pattern for runway 4. As we approached abeam of runway 4, I gave him the right engine back. He went full forward on the right throttle, but the engine didn't respond. I checked that mixture, propellers, and throttles were forward but he was still losing altitude. I checked to see that the fuel, magnetos, and pumps were on, pumped the right throttle several times with no response. At this time we were too low and slow to do anything but land in the best available area before going below VMC. I took the controls, closed both throttles and made a controled landing. We slid on grass for about 200 ft and came to a stop. We had no injuries and the ELT was not activated. Secured all switches and exited the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was scheduled by the FAA for a reexamination of his ATP, CFI and pilot examiner certificate proficiency qualification under section 609 of the federal aviation act of 1958 as a result of this incident. He further stated that he has learned from this experience to assure that the engine is not only recovered with power, but is frequently checked to assure that the simulated failed engine will respond when needed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG DURING AN ADD ON MULTI-ENG RATING PRACTICAL TEST DUE TO LACK OF R ENG PWR RECOVERY DURING A SIMULATED SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG.

Narrative: AS DESIGNATED PLT EXAMINER, I WAS ADMINISTERING A PRACTICAL TEST FOR MR X IN A PA44-180 TO ADD-ON A MULTI-ENG LAND RATING TO HIS PVT PLT CERTIFICATE. HE HAD FAILED THE CHK RIDE THE DAY BEFORE. THE TASK TO BE RETESTED. APCH AND LNDG WITH AN INOP ENG (SIMULATED). AT 3500 FT, I SHUT THE R FUEL VALVE OFF. WHEN THE ENG QUIT THE APPLICANT CORRECTLY IDENTED THE FAILED ENG. AFTER HE FEATHERED THE R ENG, I TURNED THE FUEL BACK ON, TOOK IT OUT OF FEATHER, GAVE NEUTRAL THRUST AND ASKED WHAT HE WOULD DO NEXT. HE SAID HE WOULD TROUBLESHOOT IT. (SHOULD HAVE DONE IT BEFORE FEATHERING.) I SAID YOU CAN'T FIND THE PROB SO WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GO? HE SAID CULPEPPER ARPT. AS HE HEADED FOR THE CULPEPPER ARPT, I ASKED HIM WHAT RWY WERE THEY USING? AT THIS POINT HE TUNED IN THE CULPEPPER INFO AND INSTEAD OF LNDG STRAIGHT IN, HE ADDED PWR, RETRACTED THE GEAR AND STARTED A L CLOSE-IN DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR RWY 4. AS WE APCHED ABEAM OF RWY 4, I GAVE HIM THE R ENG BACK. HE WENT FULL FORWARD ON THE R THROTTLE, BUT THE ENG DIDN'T RESPOND. I CHKED THAT MIXTURE, PROPS, AND THROTTLES WERE FORWARD BUT HE WAS STILL LOSING ALT. I CHKED TO SEE THAT THE FUEL, MAGNETOS, AND PUMPS WERE ON, PUMPED THE R THROTTLE SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TOO LOW AND SLOW TO DO ANYTHING BUT LAND IN THE BEST AVAILABLE AREA BEFORE GOING BELOW VMC. I TOOK THE CTLS, CLOSED BOTH THROTTLES AND MADE A CTLED LNDG. WE SLID ON GRASS FOR ABOUT 200 FT AND CAME TO A STOP. WE HAD NO INJURIES AND THE ELT WAS NOT ACTIVATED. SECURED ALL SWITCHES AND EXITED THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS SCHEDULED BY THE FAA FOR A REEXAMINATION OF HIS ATP, CFI AND PLT EXAMINER CERTIFICATE PROFICIENCY QUALIFICATION UNDER SECTION 609 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ACT OF 1958 AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAS LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE TO ASSURE THAT THE ENG IS NOT ONLY RECOVERED WITH PWR, BUT IS FREQUENTLY CHKED TO ASSURE THAT THE SIMULATED FAILED ENG WILL RESPOND WHEN NEEDED.

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.