Centre line? Not always....
A useful debate which some have sought to confuse with irrelevant local procedures.
If I have just taken off in a 20kt crosswind - and if I have the height to make the turn - I am going to be looking for an into-wind field and take whatever component available that will reduce the speed I hit anything at.
If you discipline yourself to 'Never turn back' and also, 'avoid turns greater than 30 degrees either side of the centre line' - 2 factors rammed into me during my initial and Flying Instructor training - then you are much more likely to stay alive.
Airspeed, and plenty of it is the key to survival. You must fly the thing, first and foremost. If you load your brain up with other factors, the aircraft won't take care of the airspeed for you.
Turning back is a bold decision that is more likely to kill you - period. However, that decision has been made succesfully by others and who can criticise them if it works out?
I am sure they will agree that the margins were eroded and yet had good reason to do so.
On one occasion not too many years ago a rotary-engined type quit shortly after take-off yet the pilot succesfully landed back on.
It appears that he had already decided he was dead in the inevitable soft-ground rollover and decided to push the nose down, turn steeply ( more than 90 degrees of bank), aim the lift vector at the field, pull hard and - well - you need to watch the video.
He will be the first to say, 'if you haven't been trained to do it don't try it'. On this occasion he decided on the options, didn't like them and invoked his prior training as a military test pilot to get him out of trouble. Bravo or what?!
In display flying we have a good brief on the suitability - on the day - of surrounding fields for forced-landings.
We practise EFATO whenever possible.
As a hobby pilot though, I aint turning back.
An interesting engine failure story -
I was in Reno last year and got to talk about the Ryan PT22 and its very poor glide ( well - like a block of flats actually). He said, in a wonderful Southern drawl, 'If that Kinner stops poppin', shove the stick for'd and get a good look over the nose, coz thats where yer landing'.
We then discussed an engine failure at height. He said, 'reach for yer car keys, throw'm over the side and follow em down, coz thats where yer goin'.
I appreciate that a tragedy has prompted this debate, and some unfortunate hearsay or otherwise speculation.
I for one want to hear about the actual facts - for these can only serve to heighten our awareness (and maybe cause us to think that accidents don't only happen to other people) but will only rely on the AAIB report for education.
Only then are you qualified to think, ' I would have done this or that under those circumstances'.
Speculation is pointless.
HP