INSTRUCTOR PLT ALLOWS STUDENT TO DSND TOO LOW DURING A SIMULATED FORCED LNDG PRACTICE CAUSING PUBLIC CONCERN RPTED TO THE NEARBY CTL TWR.

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DURING A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT PLT FROM FBO; OAKLAND; CA; I SIMULATED AN ENG FAILURE IN A C172 WHILE THE STUDENT WAS PERFORMING S-TURNS ACROSS A ROAD IN AN AREA WHICH I CONSIDER TO BE SPARSELY POPULATED. THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS 'THE OLD JUMP ZONE;' IS INSIDE LVK CLASS D AIRSPACE; AND IS COMMONLY USED FOR GND REF MANEUVER TRAINING. THERE ARE A FEW FARMS LOCATED WITHIN THE AREA; WHICH IS PRIMARILY DEFINED BY OPEN FIELDS AND RURAL ROADS. I HAD INSTRUCTED THE 100 HR STUDENT PLT; WHOM I HAD RECENTLY BEGUN WORKING WITH IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP HIM BUILD CONFIDENCE IN PREPARATION FOR A PVT CHK RIDE; TO PERFORM S-TURNS AS I HAD JUST DEMONSTRATED; ACROSS A ROAD AT 1200 FT MSL (800 FT AGL). I HAD EXPLAINED THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING AN EMER LNDG SITE PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE MANEUVER TO BE FOLLOWED BY CLRING TURNS AND FINALLY; EXECUTION OF THE S-TURNS. THE STUDENT CHOSE A SUITABLE; SAFE EMER LNDG SITE AND BEGAN THE MANEUVER. HALFWAY THROUGH THE MANEUVER I SIMULATED ENG FAILURE BY REDUCING THROTTLE TO IDLE. AS THE ACFT DSNDED; THE STUDENT OVEREMPHASIZED HIS USE OF EMER CHKLIST AT THE EXPENSE OF VISUAL REF TO THE OUTSIDE AND CAREFUL PLANNING OF THE DSCNT. HE SIMPLY DID NOT FOLLOW THE SAFEST OR MOST EXPEDIENT RTE TO HIS PREVIOUSLY CHOSEN EMER LNDG SITE. RATHER; HE FOCUSED ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE INSIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AS HE ATTEMPTED TO RECALL ENG FAILURE PROCS AND VERIFY THEM WITH THE CHKLIST. THE ACFT DSNDED OVER TREES AND A FARM HOUSE AT A HT OF APPROX 700-800 FT MSL (300- 400 FT AGL) OR PERHAPS 250-350 FT ABOVE THE FARM STRUCTURE AND TREES ON THE PROPERTY. THIS AREA OF THE 'OLD JUMP ZONE;' THOUGH SPARSELY POPULATED; REQUIRES AT LEAST 500 FT DISTANCE FROM STRUCTURES ACCORDING TO FAR 91.119 (MSA'S). AS ACTING PIC AND FLT INSTRUCTOR I HAD NEGLECTED MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THE SAFE ALT REQUIREMENTS. HAD I NOT ASSUMED THAT THE 100 HR STUDENT; WHO IN MANY RESPECTS SHOWED PIC CAPABILITY ON THE ONLY 2- 3 FLTS I HAD MADE WITH HIM; WAS GOING TO FLY THE SAFE RTE TOWARD THE LNDG SITE; I MAY NOT HAVE LET HIM GO SO FAR WITHOUT INTERVENING. I; TOO; BECAME OVERLY FOCUSED ON THE COCKPIT INTERIOR AS I WATCHED HIM FUMBLE WITH HIS DECISION MAKING. I DIDN'T THINK CLRLY ABOUT OUR PROX TO THE HOUSE UNTIL WE WERE PASSING BEYOND IT; HAVING CROSSED IT LESS THAN 500 FT AWAY. I BELIEVE THAT I SAW THE CLOSE DISTANCE BUT THOUGHT OF LETTING THE ERROR SERVE AS A LESSON TO THE STUDENT AS AN ACTUAL EXAMPLE OF COMING TOO CLOSE TO PROPERTY. AFTER RECOVERING FROM THE SIMULATED ENG FAILURE AND CLBING TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN AT LVK; WE RECEIVED AN INQUIRY FROM LVK TWR REGARDING OUR ACTIVITY IN THE JUMP ZONE. A WOMAN; WE WERE TOLD BY ATC; HAD CALLED THE TWR TO RPT HEARING/SEEING AN AIRPLANE CROSS TREES ON HER PROPERTY AT A LOW ALT WITH AN APPARENT ENG FAILURE. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS A COMPLAINT OR A CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A REAL EMER. I TOLD THE TWR WE HAD PERFORMED SIMULATED ENG FAILURES WHILE IN THE JUMP ZONE.