Originally Posted by
gulliBell
Just to be clear, even if there was an engine problem, it doesn't require an immediate landing or cause a loss of control. There is another engine with plenty of power available to keep you humming along just fine. Even if you have an engine on fire, just let it burn until you are safely transitioned to single engine flight. There is no hurry to rush anything. When you are safely flying and assured of terrain clearance, you have two fire bottles that discharge into the engine bay. If those two bottles of fire retardant don't put out the fire, the engine bay is fire rated for 15 minutes. Gives you plenty of time to get it on the ground safely. So these reports of engine spluttering or whatever. Total bollocks. Engine problems are a total furphy in explaining an apparent loss of control.
And one last thing...I hear advice similar to this espoused everywhere. And I agree that response could be too hurried, inducing error. But hesitation can easily be taken too far, or employed with an attitude too cavalierly. In a jet aircraft with podded engines, the advice seems more practicable, however, consider the location and distance between engines in your helicopter, with the likelihood of subsidiary complications. Most engine fire emergency procedures dictate the immediate establishment of OEI flight and extinguishing without delay.
FWIW, this
S-76 accident somewhat highlights this, wherein the NTSB determined the probable cause(s) to be the pilots' delayed response to an engine fire warning…