Originally Posted by
AdamFrisch
In the former type, an engine failure at rotation is manageable in practice. Just lower the nose, clean it up swiftly and continue.
I have to say I completely disagree with this statement. The problem is that all light twins will only make their meager 200 to at best 300 feet per min climb if they are at the blue line speed, with the failed engine feathered and the gear and flap up. At or right after rotation none of that will happened and it is unlikely that the aircraft can maintain level flight while all the clean up happens. Even if you can accelerating from lift off speed to blue line and thus positive climb performance will be extremely problematical as there is virtually no excess power when on one engine. My experience is that being even 5 knots below blue line will wipe out any climb performance.
IMO for
any piston twin any engine failure before the aircraft is at blue line with gear and flaps up and a strong positive rate of climb means the only safe course of action is to close both throttles and land straight ahead.
Personally I follow the SIMCOM method. Your hands stay on the throttle until gear/flaps up, blue line and positive rate. After that you shift your hand to the prop levers and hold them their until the 500 foot climb power selection.
If the engine fails when your hands are on the throttles you pull them both back. If the engine fails with your hands on the prop levers you cancel teh yaw with rudder lower the nose to a 5 degrees nose up attitude, identify with dead foot, verify by pulling the appropriate prop lever to just above the feather gate and then feather. You have only one action to carry out and the aircraft will be in the best possible condition to continue.
However you still must verify a positive rate of climb. Failure of the aircraft to climb means you immediately pull both throttles back and take your lumps straight ahead.
BTW for the Aerostar I rotate at 100 kts, gear up at positive rate, flaps up through 105 kts (Vxse) and hands go from the throttles to the props through 115 kts (Vyse).