I searched and didn't find a thread dealing with this subject specifically. I was reading an article in a magazine about the following accident, and it got me to thinking.
Malibu Mirage
In the fatal accident, the pilot lost engine power at FL 190. At one point he still had well in excess of 10,000 feet when he was only 3 miles from BEH (Benton Harbor, the chosen landing field). He made 3 mistakes that I can see. He didn't manage the basic glide well, he allowed ATC to vector him towards the airfield (instead of doing it himself), and he failed fatality to manage the approach phase towards the runway.
It's this last mistake that troubles me the most. Assuming all is done well in gliding successfully to the vicinity of an airfield (or other suitable landing location), how does one actually setup the final approach phase for a glider landing on the runway (or chosen field, etc)?
It seems to me that being able to set the aircraft down at a specific spot on a field or runway is very critical to surviving an engine out emergency. For complex singles (like the above aircraft), gliding to a landing would be very different from a normal powered approach and landing. It seems you have to setup the approach with the correct speed and altitude, decide when to select gear and flaps, etc. so you can raise or lower your glide slope and airspeed to achieve the best touchdown location, thus putting the wheels down where you need to.
The proper technique sounds very specific to an aircraft type. What are the necessary details, and who teaches the final approach phase part of an engine out landing?
Thanks in advance for your comments.