N838RV NTSB final report

[raabs]

Originally Posted by RV3bpilot

I sure wish more pilots would practice engine out landings. When it happens for real for the first time it is like you just grabbed a bare wire from an old wore out electrical cord that is plugged in to 120 volts. Then you try everything to get the engine back running, flipping switches and valves, that takes about 5 seconds. Then you shut everything off and glide with your adrenaline making you sweat and heart pound hard.

Please practice engine out landings, in most cases they are survivable even in unfriendly terrain.

So true on the "bare wire from an old wore out cord" when it's the first time. Having recently experienced my first real loss of power - and it was during climb out - the startle factor is significant. Luckily we were at 1100 AGL and had been vectored to the downwind before departure 1.8 miles from the runway and made it back safe. It was solid houses and strip malls. Practicing engine out's is part of the solution. It would be good to find an effective way to practice reacting when the startle factor hits you.

[Tankerpilot75]

I totally agree that pilots need to practice engine out landings. Here are a few cautionary considerations to bring into your “practice preparation.”

An engine at idle is not the same as a stopped engine. Drag will be higher with a real dead engine.

Obtain best glide speed smoothly. Abrupt control movements waste energy. It’s my opinion you do this first and then check fuel and if possible try to restart you engine.

Do not extend flaps until you know the landing is assured. Flaps add more drag than lift in my opinion. Being “on speed” is important but I’d rather have a little too much airspeed than not enough. Becoming distracted trying to restart a failed engine or align your aircraft with your point of intended landing can cost you valuable airspeed at a critical phase of flight. Airspeed is your friend so protect it!

I agree in a no wind condition it will normally take approximately 500 feet to complete a 180 degree turn but that does not guarantee you will be lined up with the runway or landing area your targeting. If your pattern is wide, winds are a factor, or your turn is delayed then you will need to adjust your plan accordingly.

Remember, it takes more time to safely execute a go around from an engine at idle during a practice dead engine landing. At idle power, the time requirement for a go around is greater than it is if you’re flying an instrument or visual approach at normal power settings.

I recommend using 200 feet AGL as your minimum decision altitude. I surprised myself once when practicing an engine out landing in stronger winds and a slightly delay downwind 1,000 foot AGL turn by making the go around decision a little late. The aircraft still descended while I was maintaining “on speed” waiting for the engine to spool up to safely stop my descent and climb out - short of the runway! Not comfortable. That is one reason why practicing engine out landings are important - but even a practice event can turn ugly if you haven’t thoroughly thought through the event before you begin it.

[ColoCardinal]

A lot of excellent advice here. I read Ross' short account and it seamed as though he was writing of my experience. It is alarming how powerful the urge to pull up becomes as you approach the ground. Your brain will be going at the speed of light and it needs to br reeled in. Repeat to yourself: "fly the plane" as often as you need.

About the only suggestion I can offer to mitigate the "startle factor" when the engine goes " bang", is to self breif for as many scenarios as possible before departing. You'll still be startled and momentarily in a state of dissbelief but rehearsals will shoren that time considerably.

Plan on losing an engine and reherse your actions often. Increase your odds. Then lets hope that none of us ever gets to test our preparedness.