Incident Overview
During the approach phase of a night flight, the engine ceased producing power, necessitating an immediate forced landing. The flight instructor, who was at the controls for the landing, selected a dark area for the touchdown. During the landing, the airplane collided with a transmission wire.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that each wing tank contained approximately 1 pint of fuel. This low fuel quantity indicated that the engine failure likely resulted from fuel exhaustion.
Instructor's Account
The flight instructor reported that he had observed his student performing the preflight inspection but was distracted by a conversation with a fellow employee. He acknowledged that he did not personally verify the fuel levels in the tanks before departure.