Flight Training - January 2014 - 6

RIGHT SEAT

By Ian J. Twombly
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THE SOUND
OF SILENCE

Publisher | Mark Baker

ENGINES RARELY QUIT WHEN TREATED WELL

ne afternoon early in my career as a young flight instructor,
an old-timer who used to hang out at the grass strip where
I taught was telling fish stories. "I've had eight engine
failures," he boasted. I remember thinking the poor guy
needed to start carrying more fuel.
What various calamities led to this
man's rather unfortunate problems, I don't
know. It's safe to assume he wasn't flying
an average airplane in an average situation,
because no one's luck is that bad. Because
despite all the practicing we do to respond
to engine failures, the statistics show that
the vast majority of pilots will fly an entire
career without anything close to a total
failure. Provided, that is, they remember to
put gas in the airplane.
It shouldn't be surprising that a major
cause of engine failures in piston airplanes is fuel exhaustion. There are more
still for fuel mismanagement, sometimes

When you first start training, this can
be a bit disconcerting. Lucky for us, the
wings aren't connected to the engine, and
instead of dropping like a rock when the
engine fails, the airplane simply turns into
a glider. And as any glider pilot will tell
you, landing without an engine is no big
deal-provided one trains for it.
That training will involve simulated
engine failures with approaches to land
at farm fields, airports, and anywhere else
the airplane can be put down. We drill this
over and over so that if the time comes and
we have to do it for real, it will be second
nature. We also practice to control the

AS ANY GLIDER PILOT WILL TELL YOU,
LANDING WITHOUT AN ENGINE IS NO BIG
DEAL-PROVIDED ONE TRAINS FOR IT.
attributed simply to selecting the wrong
tank or not knowing how to use the
system. In 2010 there were nearly two
fuel-exhaustion accidents a week on average. Although it may be the most obvious
thing you hear during your training, the
engine needs fuel to run. Why some 80
people a year don't understand that is
anyone's guess.
Regardless of whether from fuel or
mechanical problems, engines can and do
fail. Our aircraft engines are meant to run
at close to full power for extended periods.
Most don't feature electronic engine
controls, and a fair amount still employ a
carburetor. Our primary engine technology is decades old, so they just aren't as
reliable as modern car engines. When was
the last time you heard of one of those
throwing a cylinder through the hood?

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

emotional response to such a situation.
This month we cover the mental process
of an engine failure scenario in "The Zen
of Engine Failure," beginning on page 26.
In it, a pilot with thousands of hours in
all types of aircraft describes what really
happens from his point of experience
after a dozen engine failures. I would say
he needs to carry more fuel, too, but since
that experience includes some unusual flying scenarios, I think it's safe to assume his
rate of engine failures is atypical.
Good maintenance, a careful preflight,
and the right amount of fuel ensure the
odds are stacked in your favor for a flying
career free of unwelcome surprises.
Email Editor Ian J. Twombly at ian.twombly@aopa.
org; Twitter: ijtwombly; and visit Flight Training on
Facebook.

Senior VP, Media/Editor in Chief | Thomas B. Haines
Editor | Ian J. Twombly
Editor at Large | Thomas A. Horne
Managing Editor | Julie Summers Walker
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Flight Training - January 2014

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