Logically it's most important to get the field and speed sorted as a first priority whilst there is most time (ie height) available, other drills can then be gone through whilst in the forced landing pattern to the field that hopefully won't be needed. The drill sequence should be driven by the most common causes of engine failure: carb ice and running out of fuel in the selected tank.
Therefore:
- Turn into wind whilst adopting attitude for best glide and trimming
- Pick field, plan pattern (constant aspect method works every time)
- If no fire: Carb heat, pump on, change tank, mix rich, Mags on, primer locked
- If fire: fuel off, hot/cold air off
A question that has often been debated in the bar ... if the aircraft is burning there are 2 choices:
- fly very fast to blow the fire out and burn (!) energy to get on the ground faster - but this will give the fire more oxygen and therefore make it hotter (and aluminium melts at a surprisingly low temperature), or
- fly slowly to minimise oxygen supply (and therefore fire temperature) whilst sideslipping to minimise the heat reaching the fuselage - but this increases the airborne time.
... which is best ?? Can anyone point to any research?
HFD