Engine Fire/Failure on finals

[Slasher]

Hi John.

No I was strictley talking 737-200/300. Other aircraft types may have diferent engine-out handling qualitys and SE gradient capabilitys (Im referencing AFM figures, not the min certification weights for app-climb and ldg-climb). The cut-off temp for what you mention in (a) is around 35C for flap 40 at structural MLW, which is an ambient rarely encountered (or higher) in the tropics. Only bangkok and a few others can reach 40+C, but then again these airfields are served by 10,000ft+ LDAs.

Ref (b), yes your dead correct, but self-awareness of pilot ability as you well know must come into play here. Yes A fully-factored flap 40 distance will scrape in as an unfactored flap 15 distance but with not much to spare. Given a 3,500 ft wet runway at Vref40+18 (146kts) at field-length MLW, moderate rain and a 20kt variable xwind, I doubt my ability to confidentley stop within the pavement distance given only 1 thrust reverser and the lack of drag at flap 15 as against 40, even if I plant the gear exactley where I want it. Im not even mentioning any possible risks like aquaplaning or low-level unreported light tailwinds. This is why I mentioned the consideration of retaining flap 40 for landing SE and in so doing giving away your GA capability (so long as the requirements I mentioned in my earlyer post are met).

Of course it all works out in the sim and I make it in ok after a late flap reconfig, and the ldg dist used retaining flap 40 is quite a lot less than flap 15. but a sim wont kill you. In real life however Im not game when the flap 15 distance numbers are so critical like that.

So in summary, given a short runway with a sudden engine failure/fire at say 250 ft AGL (GD and F40) in 737:

* Runway clear? YES
* Cleared to land? YES
* Will I make it in? YES
* ANY obvious risk of GA? NO
* Scared? Mmmm...NO
- Retain flap 40 and land. Note A/brake and bus inop items lost.
(In the same situation but given a long runway, youve got the added bonus of extra field length to sort out flap configuration changes if thats what you decide to do. I cant see though why youd want to make life dificult for yourself by changing flap so late in the approach).

* Runway clear? CANT SEE IT
* Cleared to land YES
* Will I make it in? DONT KNOW!
* ANY obvious risk of GA? YES
* Scared? HELL YEH!
- Immediatley initiate a GA even though the proc may bring you VERY close to the runway initialy. Follow MaP or pre-planned terrain-avoidence escape route. And yes grit your teeth and go around even for an engine FIRE warning too!

PS if your scared youll make mistakes. Its better to bug out and reduce the adrenalen a bit and sort out the problem first, rather than land an aircraft in a critical condition with quivering hands and a shaking right leg trying to stop the damn thing!