Flight Training - May 2012 - 26

When was the last time you practiced your enginefailure procedures? Fact: Very few student and private pilots ever attempt to practice simulated engine-out procedures on their own, possibly believing this practice too risky without CFI oversight. And there would be truth to this notion if the pilot did not adhere to a few basic safety precautions and guidelines while practicing simulated engine-out procedures.
HOW TO PRACTICE SAFELY. Before beginning any simulated engine-out practice, consider what you are flying over. Initiating the procedure directly over or near a large city, tall antennas, obstructions, or nearly invisible power lines would not be wise. Once you’ve located a suitable practice area, before pulling back the power, take a close and unhurried look for the “perfect” off-airport landing site. Ideally, you’re looking for the longest available open field with an obstructionfree approach end, fairly flat, and smooth, with grass, short vegetation, or—in the winter—even a frozen lake will do (see “Land Here, Not There,” page 27). Admittedly, this is a fairly lengthy and possibly unobtainable “wish list,” but with practice, you’ll become better at recognizing and selecting your best options quickly and effectively. If you haven’t practiced these field-selection skills in a while, do not rush this terrain-analysis step. What might appear long and invitingly smooth from a few thousand feet can often take on quite a different, more realistically uninviting appearance by the time you’re ready to turn final approach. But you will gradually become better at analyzing and selecting, from altitude, the better, more-suitable landing sites. This step requires practice, too.

So until you gain more speed and confidence at this field-selection step, begin your initial attempts by choosing a good landing site first, within easy gliding distance, prior to reducing power to initiate the simulated emergency. Later, after gaining more competence selecting suitable landing sites, you can advance to initiating the power reduction before actually selecting a field, thereby increasing the realism of your simulations. Next, be gentle to your engine in the process. Do not suddenly cut the power to initiate the procedure. Instead, slowly and smoothly reduce the throttle to idle. And don’t forget to periodically (about once per minute) clear and warm your engine by smoothly advancing power briefly to cruise power before again reducing it to idle. And finally, while remaining alert for conflicting traffic and obstructions throughout the procedure, do not lose altitude awareness and descend below your minimum altitude limit— usually around 500 feet above ground level (agl)—before initiating a go-around. Be sure to keep that minimum altitude in mind for your practice sessions, and honor it. Don’t forget, for aircraft with a constant-speed propeller, on the go-around push the prop control fully forward before adding power! A thorough review of the emergency section in your aircraft’s operating handbook and the FAA’s Airplane Flying Handbook procedure is a good way to begin any practice session. Follow this with an understanding that where time and altitude permit, emergency engine-out procedures can generally be broken into six separate but time-critical steps.

CRASH SURVIVABILITY IS DRASTICALLY REDUCED IF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE IS LOST DURING THE APPROACH.
STEP ONE:

Now what? The complete answer to this question often depends on altitude available. The less altitude, the more critical this first step becomes. With engine failures on takeoff, where extra time or maneuverability are not available, you must lower the nose attitude immediately (within three seconds) to maintain a safe glide speed. Then begin maneuvering to the safest touchdown possible while maintaining control all the way down, resisting any urges to increase pitch in an attempt to stretch the glide or to make impossible (back to the runway) turns—don’t stop flying the airplane! Crash survivability is drastically reduced if control of the airplane is lost during the approach. Speed and controllability are life!

AIRCRAFT CONTROL—FLY THE AIRPLANE. Sudden engine failure—oh, no!

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Flight Training - May 2012

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