January 3, 2012, San Angelo, Texas., Piper PA-28-160 Cherokee 160

At approximately 1730 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. Visual conditions prevailed. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The flight instructor reported they were performing touch-and-go landings in the traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg, the flight instructor changed fuel tanks in order to balance the fuel burn. Shortly thereafter, the student added power to adjust his approach path to the runway but the engine did not respond.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

During touch-and-go landings, an airplane experienced a sudden engine power loss while on the downwind leg.
The power loss occurred shortly after the flight instructor changed fuel tanks to balance the fuel burn.
Attempts by the instructor to restore engine power by switching back to the original tank failed.
The subsequent forced landing resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, including a separated wing, but the occupants were uninjured.

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At approximately 1730 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. Visual conditions prevailed. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured.

The flight instructor reported they were performing touch-and-go landings in the traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg, the flight instructor changed fuel tanks in order to balance the fuel burn. Shortly thereafter, the student added power to adjust his approach path to the runway but the engine did not respond. The flight instructor switched back to the previous tank; however, engine power was not restored. During the forced landing, the right wing struck a tree and separated.