Always an interesting subject.
It is rubbish to suggest that it is more kind to the engine by cutting the mixture, as
maui does here:
Conventional wisdom in the past was that a mixture cut was easier on the engine as the loading stays positive. If the throttle is pulled abruptly backloading occurs, which can do nasty things to dynamic balances. Additionally if the engine is of the geared variety the lay shafts take a caning.
The two methods of simulating the failure are in fact, almost identical (from the power loss point of view). Both rapidly deprive the engine of the heat energy that would be converted to mechanical energy. Following the loss of power, you have the situation that is referred to in numerous different ways by pilots, but which all mean exactly the same thing:
- "Windmilling"
- "Backdriving"
- "Backloading"
- "Negative torque"
Chimbu said:
Morons have caused piston twins to have the reputation they have not the aircraft themselves.
Sadly, I have to agree with this. 8 children lost their fathers a few years ago at Jandakot because the pilot, having lost an engine just after takeoff, was in too much of a hurry to get the aircraft back onto the ground. The aircraft was maintaining height (albeit very low) at speeds around the blue line but a steepish turn when attempting to get back to the runway took the aircraft too far back on the power curve and a collision with the ground (and fireball) was the inevitable result.
The significance of NOT TURNING when assymetric is nowhere near emphasised enough. It should be hammered into multi pilots as much as the "don't turn back" message is hammered into single pilots for when they lose their engine just after takeoff.
On this point, the opinion of
Chimbu was:
Climb in a straight line and get at least 4-500' under you before you even think about turning....yes if there is a hill in front miss it
On VYSE: too many pilots have too much regard for this number when considering a multiengine takeoff. It is revered as an almost magical number that determines whether you will be able to fly or not. Too many pilots have the view that "if you lose one before blueline you won't climb".
That view is rubbish and pilots that hold it are firmly in the moron category that Chimbu referred to earlier. If you are one of them I ask you: what about VXSE? That speed is always less than VYSE (by almost 10 knots in the case of one type) and because of the relationship between these speeds, if you can climb at one, you will climb at the other - and if you can't climb at one, you won't be able to climb at the other.
Readers of this post may be interested to know that the blue line is NOT marked on the ASI to assist pilots in the EFATO case. When the FAA mandated the blue line in the early 60's it was for the case where the aircraft lost one in the cruise.
Centaurus is right on with this comment about blue line:
Blue line is a meaningless figure as a decision figure. It is best single engine rate of climb and no more than that. It is not a decision speed quoted in any manufacturer's POH. Lose an engine in a Seminole 5 knots above the blue line of 88 knots and you will be unpleasantly surprised how quickly you have done in 10 knots below blue line due to the drag of the failed engine.
Finally, hands up all those whose drill, following an engine failure after takeoff with flaps extended, is to retract the flaps immediately after retracting the gear? (As part of the drill, in other words).
If you put your hand up then I suggest you read the manufacturers instructions re engine failures after takeoff - you may find that the POH stipulates that you leave the flaps alone - until reaching a "safe height".
The POH for a Cessna 400 series type stipulates exactly this - but how many of us have been trained to follow the "mixture up, pitch up, power up, gear up, flaps up" drill?