AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - July 2019 - 86

P&E

TECHNIQUE

On target
A master's degree in engine-out procedures
B Y C AT H E R I N E C AVAG N A R O

86 | AOPA PILOT July 2019

regard it as the most challenging on the
practical exam, the maneuver is one worth
mastering for every pilot.
The Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H8083-3B) gives a general procedure for the
power-off 180-degree accuracy approach
and landing. Select a landing spot on the runway and, abeam that spot on the downwind
leg of the pattern, reduce the throttle to idle
and guide the aircraft to touch down close
to the target. The altitude on downwind
can vary with aircraft type but is generally
not more than 1,000 feet above the ground.
The Commercial Pilot Airmen Certification
Standards (FAA-S-ACS-7A) require a stabilized approach and touchdown at a proper
pitch attitude within 200 feet beyond the
specified point and not before it.
Mastering the power-off one-eighty
requires intimate knowledge of the aircraft glide characteristics, but that's not

DESIGNATED POINT. Choose a spot on the
runway, perhaps the thousand-foot markers, and reduce the throttle to idle abeam
this spot on the downwind leg of the pattern. Immediately set the appropriate
pitch attitude and trim the aircraft for the
angle of attack that results in the aircraft's
best glide speed. Maintain this airspeed
until flaring before touchdown.
In an emergency, choose a landing area
within easy gliding distance that provides
for, if at all possible, landing into the wind.
For an airplane that touches down at 60
knots, landing into a 10-knot wind results
in half the energy to be dissipated on touchdown than landing with a 10-knot tailwind.
That means half the stopping distance as
well. If hitting obstacles after landing is
inevitable, this lowered energy dramatically
increases chances of survival. If landing into
the wind is not possible, then touch down
with as low an airspeed as possible.
PROPELLER PITCH. If the airplane has a controllable-pitch propeller, you likely set it in
its flattest pitch when entering the pattern.
The increased drag provides for a steeper
approach but degrades glide performance.
Pulling the propeller back to a high-pitch,
low-drag configuration can dramatically
increase glide distance. While you will
likely leave the propeller in flat pitch for the

CHARLES FLOYD

ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUESTIONS to pose
to candidates on a practical exam is, "Why
do you think the FAA wants you to master
this task?" For certain maneuvers, such as
S-turns across a road for the private pilot
candidate or steep turns in instrument conditions for the flight instructor candidate,
the question elicits head scratching and
answers can vary.
But for the power-off 180-degree accuracy approach and landing required for
aspiring commercial pilots, the answer is
obvious. The scenario involves an engine
failure over terrain that is less than hospitable, save for a relatively small patch of
ground in easy gliding distance that offers
a reasonable chance for a successful landing. The pilot's job is to guide the aircraft
to touchdown at the beginning of the patch
with minimal energy and stopping distance.
While commercial candidates typically

all. Changing atmospheric conditions,
namely winds, guarantee that no two
such approaches will ever be the same.
To successfully and consistently perform
the power-off 180-degree approach and
landing, the pilot must make continual
and small changes in configuration and
course so that landing with minimal energy
beyond the target is assured. Energy management skills must be second nature. It's
about always keeping something in your
back pocket to correct for deviations from
the desired glidepath.
We'll review the ingredients for the
power-off 180-degree approach and landing, keeping in mind that myriad possible
changes in atmospheric conditions might
dictate alterations to the recipe. The goal is
a stabilized approach, steep enough to glide
over any obstacles on the path to the touchdown target.
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - July 2019

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