N82746Piper PA-28-181 · 1980

According to the flight instructor, after departing the airport and climbing out over the ocean, she and the pilot-rated student were discussing climbing higher when the engine lost total power. The instructor attempted to restart the engine by turning on the fuel pump, carburetor heat, and switching the fuel selector, without success. She searched for a place to land and performed a forced landing to a beach. During the landing roll, the right wing struck a pole in the sand, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the engine revealed that the B-nut was loose on the engine driven fuel pump between the electric fuel pump. When the electric fuel pump was turned on, fuel leaked out of the line where the B-nut was loose. A mechanic tightened the line, and fuel flowed without issue. There were no other anomalies with the engine during the examination that would have precluded normal operation. Given this information, it is likely that a loss of fuel pressure/flow to the engine occurred as a result of the loose B-nut, which resulted in the total loss of engine power.