Tinstaafl...
It's been over 30 years since I've done this kind of instruction...hate to admit, couldn't remember the details. So, I research.
In the meantime, Tinstaafl posts his reply, and I find him totally correct. Thank you, Tinstaffl, for the details.
Unfortunately, many of these light twins (less than 6000#, stall speed less than 61 KTS) DO NOT FLY ON ONE ENGINE! Now, there are exceptions to this...but this is what I taught my students...I taught them that certain twins don't fly on one engine...with certain exceptions...then, I taught the exceptions.
And, I taught that, if you're not light, not at a low density altitude airport, if you don't have lots of runway, if you don't have a nice clearway, etc., etc., you are best to use the remaining engine to take you to a 'soft spot' for a crash landing.... as Tinstaffl stated (which is Bob Hoover's philosophy, as well...'fly it all the way to the crash scene').
Unfortunately, many pilots think that, with two engines, you have redundancy. Truth is: maybe yes, maybe not....
Another misconception: Blue Line is sacred. Well, not quite.....
Blue line is correct for an aircraft at max gross weight, at a sea level density altitude. If you're less than max gross weight, your best performance is at a speed slightly less than blue line. If you're at a density altitude higher than sea level, your best performance is at a speed slightly less than blue line.
In point of fact, demonstration of this was always part of the training syllabus. I used to demonstrate this...then, have the student demonstrate this...then, we'd go back to the classroom and try to find in the manufacturer's POH where it gives specific speeds for specific weights and density altitudes. Nope, couldn't find it!!!!! What a crock of XXXX!
And, by the end of the training, the student was 'educated' as to what the plane will and will not do...and he/she was proficient in getting the most performance out of the aircraft....however much or little that was.
Fly Safe,
PantLoad