Engine Failure Drills
Join Date: Jan 2001
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FNG,
As mad_jock says, use the checklist after memory items/flow. You might find something you have forgotten which will start the engine.
If you have one of those shirt-pocket checklists at hand then no need to go hunting about.
As taught in some places.
Airspeed
Best Field
Checklist
Of course you need to be sensible, so if you are 100ft off the ground other things might be more pressing. If you are 5000ft AGL when your engine stops then you might have time to try all these aerobatic tricks too (as long you you have the field)
As mad_jock says, use the checklist after memory items/flow. You might find something you have forgotten which will start the engine.
If you have one of those shirt-pocket checklists at hand then no need to go hunting about.
As taught in some places.
Airspeed
Best Field
Checklist
Of course you need to be sensible, so if you are 100ft off the ground other things might be more pressing. If you are 5000ft AGL when your engine stops then you might have time to try all these aerobatic tricks too (as long you you have the field)
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If engine failure is at high altitude:
1) trim for best glide speed;
2) FMS:
(a) Fuel (check fuel pressure, change tanks, activate wobble pump)
(b) Mixture (check mixture rich, place carb. heat "Hot")
(c) Switches (check magnetos)
3) if above unsuccessful, commit to land;
4) if time permits, Mayday call;
5) fuel off, master off, mixture cut-off, harness secure, hood/hatch open;
6) maintain control of airplane.
If engine failure is at low altitude:
1) look for best place to crash-land;
2) if time permits, change tanks and activate wobble pump;
3) maintain control of airplane.
Absolutely right. That's why engine failure procedures must be reviewed and regularly practiced to the point where they become second nature.
1) trim for best glide speed;
2) FMS:
(a) Fuel (check fuel pressure, change tanks, activate wobble pump)
(b) Mixture (check mixture rich, place carb. heat "Hot")
(c) Switches (check magnetos)
3) if above unsuccessful, commit to land;
4) if time permits, Mayday call;
5) fuel off, master off, mixture cut-off, harness secure, hood/hatch open;
6) maintain control of airplane.
If engine failure is at low altitude:
1) look for best place to crash-land;
2) if time permits, change tanks and activate wobble pump;
3) maintain control of airplane.
I think that the idea of using a checklist in a single engined piston aeroplane when the engine fails is pretty dotty.... if the engine stops, the last thing you need to be doing is hunting for or through a checklist for bright ideas.
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MLS-12D,
The problem is one forgets things. Another poster had to be reminded to include 'primer locked', and now you do too.
It makes a lot of sense to commit important checklists to memory, and makes a lot of sense to revisit this checklist by reading it off paper, if you have time.....
AOPA Safety Article
The problem is one forgets things. Another poster had to be reminded to include 'primer locked', and now you do too.
It makes a lot of sense to commit important checklists to memory, and makes a lot of sense to revisit this checklist by reading it off paper, if you have time.....
AOPA Safety Article
Not so N, but still FG
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How many re-start after failure? Good question, IO540. I have no idea as to the answer. It is not that uncommon for engines to stop during aerobatics, but they usually re-start, and those engines have just stopped, not failed.
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slim,
Thanks, but no, I didn't need to be reminded ... it's not part of the drill that I was taught, or practice, in my current aircraft. Whether it should be is, of course, another matter.
Certainly most people (no matter how experienced or highly trained) will forget items in the stress of a genuine emergency, and I fully agree that having a checklist to review, just in case, would be desirable.
However, I can't really conceive of any emergency that would permit me sufficient time to review a checklist, especially whilst flying the airplane. It's a great concept for large two-pilot airplanes (where one pilot flies and the other one troubleshoots), but I just don't see it as being very practical for single-pilot operations. I'd rather forget to deactivate some switch than stall the aircraft at low altitute because I had my head down in the cockpit.
Thanks, but no, I didn't need to be reminded ... it's not part of the drill that I was taught, or practice, in my current aircraft. Whether it should be is, of course, another matter.
Certainly most people (no matter how experienced or highly trained) will forget items in the stress of a genuine emergency, and I fully agree that having a checklist to review, just in case, would be desirable.
However, I can't really conceive of any emergency that would permit me sufficient time to review a checklist, especially whilst flying the airplane. It's a great concept for large two-pilot airplanes (where one pilot flies and the other one troubleshoots), but I just don't see it as being very practical for single-pilot operations. I'd rather forget to deactivate some switch than stall the aircraft at low altitute because I had my head down in the cockpit.
My troubleshooting would be quite easy:
1) Fuel on MAIN (big lever on the floor, easy to see)
2) Primer locked (big brass Ki-Gas, easy to see)
3) Throttle open (big red lever in the middle, easy to see)
4) Mag switches ON (big shiny switches on the left, easy to see)
Apart from forgetting to change tanks, if my engine stops it's because it's conked out and will not be starting again.......
No carb heat, mixture or electrics to worry about. Single lever operation dating from 1946
1) Fuel on MAIN (big lever on the floor, easy to see)
2) Primer locked (big brass Ki-Gas, easy to see)
3) Throttle open (big red lever in the middle, easy to see)
4) Mag switches ON (big shiny switches on the left, easy to see)
Apart from forgetting to change tanks, if my engine stops it's because it's conked out and will not be starting again.......
No carb heat, mixture or electrics to worry about. Single lever operation dating from 1946
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first thing to do is trim for best glide then leave well alone. No risk of stalling if at Vbg, and the plane will happily fly without you touching the controls. People stall when 'stretching the glide', if you do that you haven't picked the proper field (second thing to do) or you are just SOL.
Having watched a fair few people screw up on their emergency landing checks, what they usually get wrong is not landing where they initially thought they would. Engine checklist doesn't take long to complete with or without checklists. Practice your approach more than anything else and make sure you know how the plane glides in all configurations.
Glider pilots must wonder what the fuss is about.
Having watched a fair few people screw up on their emergency landing checks, what they usually get wrong is not landing where they initially thought they would. Engine checklist doesn't take long to complete with or without checklists. Practice your approach more than anything else and make sure you know how the plane glides in all configurations.
Glider pilots must wonder what the fuss is about.
