With respect to the EFATO case ( ie slow and close to the ground )Why confirm with the throttle ? If I think an engine has totally failed ( based on all the proper cues )I do the dead foot dead engine check and then go right for the prop control. As you pull it back you are verifying because if you pull the wrong prop lever back you will know it
The trick is to feather the right engine. Verifying with throttle wastes time and still will not prevent you from pulling the wrong prop lever back. The only time
I would adjust the throttle is if the engine was surgng or I had reason to believe that a reduced throttle setting would result in the engine being able to produce usefull thrust. When I teach new multi students I always review the accident stats. They are pretty unequivical. A lot of fatal accidents are caused by pilots trying to fly after an EFATO. Based on the performance of your typical light twin I teach my students to pull both throttles back and land straight ahead untill the aircraft has a positive rate of climb, is at or above blueline, and the landing gear is retracting. Then, and only then, should they try to fly away from an engine failure.
