Think drag
Not a comment on this accident or Dan's decision, however, just in case folks are tempted to put a turn-back in their 'repertoire' a word of caution.. please think carefully about doing turnbacks in GA piston aircraft.. Unless you actually stop the engine I believe any practice turnback training is unrealistic and may lead to false expectations in a real failure. There can be significantly more drag from a windmilling prop than from a prop being driven by an engine at idle. If you have a fixed pitch prop there is not a lot you can do in the real situation, if its a VP prop you could try to reduce the RPM which will reduce drag a little. If the prop is stopped (ie engine is siezed) you are probably best off, but will still glide more steeply than if it were driven by an idling engine.. Add 'startle factor' and the fact that most GA aircraft are not equipped with AoA indication nor are pilots trained to understand its significance, then the chances of pulling off a successful turnback following an EFATO are slim..