Incident Overview
A dual instructional flight was underway when the instructor pilot (IP) initiated a forced landing exercise for the student by pulling the mixture control out. The forced landing was continued to an altitude of approximately 400 feet above ground level (AGL). At that point, the IP pushed the mixture control in and instructed the student to climb. After reaching about 1,000 feet AGL, the IP again pulled the mixture control, initiating a second forced landing simulation. Shortly thereafter, the IP pushed the mixture control in to return to normal flight, but the engine failed to start. The IP made several attempts to restart the engine, all unsuccessful. The aircraft subsequently performed a forced landing in the desert, during which it sustained damage.
Engine Examination
An examination of the engine revealed no preimpact failures. The engine was run to 1,800 revolutions per minute (RPM), and a magneto check showed a drop of approximately 100 RPM on each magneto.