Flight Training - November 2019 - 35

This is a step that's often skipped in training, but it's a crucial
one. Determining the severity of the problem you're facing tells
you things you need to know in order to solve it. Many pilots fear
the worst when faced with even the most basic problems and
may end up causing more serious emergencies. The infamous
door opening on takeoff is a perfect example. In almost all cases,
light aircraft will fly fine with a door open. Yet, pilots routinely
take a door popping open to be a grave emergency that must be
immediately fixed. Airplanes have been destroyed and lives lost
over this. An open door is nothing more than annoyance: a minor
problem that must be addressed, but which sits well below aviating, navigating, and communicating.
Knowing the severity of the problem helps a pilot determine whether the situation needs immediate action, an urgent
response with some troubleshooting, a more relaxed and
thoughtful troubleshooting, or a deferral to a later time. An
engine failure at low altitude requires immediate action. A
blinking radio display can be deferred until the flight is over. In
between lie the many problems that don't appear on checklists
and must be dealt with creatively.
COME UP WITH A SOLUTION
Once you know how urgent and critical the problem is, you can
begin to work on a solution. Inside the airplane's handbook you
will find checklists and expanded procedures for anywhere from
three to 15 abnormal or emergency scenarios. They range from
engine fire during start to spins. Checklists are great, but how
does anyone expect you to pull out a checklist when you're in
an increasingly tighter spin, heading toward the ground? The
answer is that they don't.
In the airline world, certain checklists are committed
to memory and certain checklists are referenced during the
troubleshooting. The company dictates which checklists have
memory items, and all pilots are expected to adhere to that
practice. There's no reason pilots flying recreationally have to be
different. As you look through the handbook, think about which
emergencies require immediate action (engine failure, fire)
and which allow for more time and troubleshooting (electrical
failure, open door). For those emergencies that require immediate action, memorize the checklist or the first few critical items,
understanding that you may or may not have time to verify it in
an emergency.
Tyukin did a marvelous job of going through the engine
failure checklist by memory as a flow. Because he had practiced
it many times before, the checklist was almost second nature.
He maintained best glide speed, identified a landing site, turned
toward it, tried to restart the engine, and then communicated
with the tower. In fact, the only thing he missed on the checklist
was turning on the auxiliary fuel pump, which wouldn't have
helped anyway. Later sleuthing uncovered that the engine failed
as a result of a bad part in the fuel system.
But what if the problem you're experiencing isn't on the
checklist? Much of what could go wrong won't be. A jammed trim
tab, misaligned flaps, broken throttle cable, flat tires, nicks in the
propeller, and all sorts of other potential concerns aren't spelled
out in black and white. For these, the proper response comes
down to the severity of the problem, where you are in relation to
an airport, the weather, and your proficiency.
EXECUTE THE PLAN
It seems simple enough, right? Once you have identified the
problem and come up with a solution, do the solution! You'd be

Is a landing gear malfunction an emergency? In most cases, you
have plenty of time to troubleshoot the problem. And, most gear-up
landings cause no serious injuries.

surprised. Sometimes the fear, denial, stress, and pressure of the
situation manifest into anything other than action. Pilots have
been known to sit and not react, react in random, ineffective
ways, or just straight panic. By identifying the problem and coming up with a concrete plan, you can make acting on it easier.
RE-EVALUATE AS NECESSARY
In an emergency, things are constantly changing. A rough engine
worsens and resolves, winds shift, traffic and air traffic control
are always in flux. Just like a flight plan, an emergency plan is a
starting point. As variables change, so too must the plan.
As Tyukin was gliding toward Runway 1L, at some point he
realized he wasn't going to make it. At a low altitude and with
little excess energy, he was at the mercy of the landscape. Thankfully the golf course and driving range lay just off the end of the
runway, so changing his plan to land short on the driving range
was an easy decision.
Sometimes the choice isn't so easy. Every student pilot has
faced the challenge of gliding toward a field in forced landing
practice, only to realize that making the chosen field is questionable. Now a decision must be made. Pick a new field or try to
make the one you've selected? These sorts of split-second decisions are critical. The worst choice you can make is no choice at
all. Many emergencies have had bad outcomes because the pilot
was paralyzed by a choice and didn't commit to a new plan. Only
experience will help you make the right choice, but even a new
student can understand and apply the need to make any choice,
and continually re-evaluate it.
It's impossible to practice every type of emergency response,
but by practicing the critical potential problems, committing certain checklists to memory, and going through a reasoned response,
your chances of a favorable outcome increase greatly. FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org
AOPA.ORG/FT 35

http://www.AOPA.ORG/FT

Flight Training - November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - November 2019