Incident Details
The airplane was returning to Muskegon, Michigan, following a circuit, cross-country flight. As the airplane approached Muskegon, the instructor pilot reported instructing the student to perform a climbing turn and a descending turn. While the student was finishing the maneuver, the instructor heard the engine go to idle, and they realized the engine had quit.
Emergency Landing
The instructor pilot took control of the airplane and made several restart attempts. He located a field suitable for landing, shut off everything except the master switch, and landed. The instructor stated that he tried to keep the nose wheel off the ground, but within a couple of seconds, the airplane came to a stop.
Investigation
Examination of the engine's carburetor revealed that a 1/4 inch long and 1/8 inch diameter, angular tab was totally blocking the hole in the seat. Examination of the remaining airplane systems revealed no anomalies.