Originally Posted by
lightonthewater
If the propeller stops turning when you are set up for landing, purposely low, slow and close to, but too far from, the runway, no-one would have any choice but find the least bad area to land.
It's already been said, but you don't usually have to set up for landing that way. Keeping close to the field and flying a glide approach pretty much guarantees you're going to make the airfield boundary, if not the runway.
This isn't always practical - what works at a gliding site might not work at a busy commercial airport. And for some higher performance types, there may also be the risk of shock cooling the engine to consider.
I'd agree that following the PAPI in an SEP isn't usually necessary or desirable, and isn't going to leave you many options if the donk quits on final.