What happened
During the climbout phase of flight, at approximately 500 feet indicated altitude, the left engine of the aircraft ceased operating. The flight instructor took control of the aircraft and initiated standard emergency procedures while communicating on frequency 122.7.
While attempting to return to the airport, the instructor observed that the landing gear failed to extend. To address this, the pilot leveled off the aircraft to manually pump the gear down. During this process, the aircraft drifted past the airport boundary at an altitude of 100 feet above ground level. Because the aircraft was unable to maintain a climb at Vyse (single-engine climb speed), the instructor decided against attempting a turnaround and instead proceeded straight ahead to perform an emergency landing in an orange grove.
The investigation
A certified FAA mechanic with inspection authorization conducted an examination of the left engine. The inspection revealed no mechanical failure or malfunction within the engine components.