Quotes:
(1)
"Frankly, in a scenario like that, runway length is not that much of a concern, I got bigger problems. Between landing off-airport and landing on airport with a not-long-enough runway, I'd still rather land at the airport. That's where the fire trucks are. If I get more hydraulics in the meantime - great, if not - I'm still heading for that runway."
(2)
"If landing on the runway is feasible, DO IT! Dribbling off the end at 30 knots is WAY BETTER than landing elsewhere!"
Agreed! But, what are the chances of getting back there? And how much tailwind might there be for the approach and landing. (OP doesn't stipulate W/V.)
Quote:
"I suspect that with a dual engine failure at 3500 you would wind up like Sully did with one guy trying to get some power back and the other busy keeping it right side up and deciding where to point it."
Quite. Is this a moment for a snap decision by the PF, or is there still time for (rapid) DODAR to reduce the chance of a foul-up
**?
Quote:
"If you've flown directly away from the airport, at 3500' you are not going back there. If on downwind departure, maybe."
Marginal, and easily screwed-up... Any retired Space-Shuttle pilots out there? If the a/c was over-performing prior to the failures, you might be closer to the upwind end of the departure runway than you realise? At 3500 ft you've probably already cleaned-up, so you're doing 210 - 250 knots.
At what point do you start turning back? Procedure-turn or a simple one-eighty? The latter would point you to a base-leg, of course, demanding an S-turn on to finals, amounting to a kind of retrospective procedure-turn anyway.
For a planned procedure turn, you might use the outbound segment to decelerate in level flight to, say 180 kts, extending the slats only (i.e., Flaps 1). That might take 45 seconds, and the precise timing would be unknown - yet crucial to the outcome. In that segment, not much height would be lost (if any). The 180-degree turn inbound would then take 60 seconds with 25-deg bank. How much height would be lost in that minute? Hopefully, the runway would then be in view, and that would be the moment of truth. It would immediately be apparent if you were too high or too low.
Quote:
"If you've flown directly away from the airport, at 3500' you are not going back there. If on downwind departure, maybe."
Marginal chance of success, I reckon. For it even to be theoretically possible probably depends on the wind and the pre-failure climb angle? And your choice has to consider what alternatives are available, if any.
Easy for me to stick my neck out...
