Engine Failure Scenarios

[uwochris]

Just looking for some different opinions on the following scenario:

You've been cleared to enter a hold, inbound on your final approach course for an NDB app. The turns are to be made on the opposite side of the procedure turn. Now assume it's a direct entry, and you experience an engine failure, a little before crossing the NDB to enter the hold.

Would you:
A) Keep flying the airplane, maintain control. Enter the hold as normal, then make a mayday call for an approach.
B) Keep flying the airplane, maintain control. Instead of entering the hold, you enter the procedure turn (opposite side to which holding pattern is supposed to be). Make a mayday call for an approach.
C) Keep flying the airplane, and expedite the approach immediately (i.e. you neither enter the hold nor the procedure turn, but go straight for the approach).

I know there are a lot of variables that should be considered. But for the sake, let's assume that the plane is controllable on 1 engine with good enough performance to maintain flight.

I would personally choose option A), since you've been cleared to enter the hold, and you know for a fact that that side is protected (ie. you're not always sure as to why ATC might make you hold on the opposite side of the PT). The only problem I see is that if you are at a high altitude, you won't be sure if it's safe to descend to your PT altitude, since that altitude only applies to the PT side, and not the opposite side (where the hold is to take place).

Opinions?

 

[kingsize]

Depends on the aircraft. How many engines does it have (could be 1 to 8)? What systems are lost or degraded? How much fuel on board? That all factors into the urgency of the situation and the workload of doing emergency procedures.

If it's no big deal to aircraft control, I'd proceed as planned, ask for a couple turns in holding (or a delay between two TACANs if it will take some time) to deal with the issue and build a plan, declare an emergency, fly an ILS (we don't do NDB).

 

[FN FAL]

I know there are a lot of variables that should be considered. But for the sake, let's assume that the plane is controllable on 1 engine with good enough performance to maintain flight.

Opinions?

I would look down at the field and cancel IFR. Just because some Dentist in a Barron beat you to the field, jumped in his car and ran off to Denny's to enjoy some coffee and a skillet of hashbrowns, eggs and bacon, without cancelling his IFR flight plan, it's no reason to play test pilot when the field is obviously in plain sight in front of you.

 

[MauleSkinner]

1. Maintain control of the airplane
2. Fly your clearance
3. Complete checklists and evaluate your requirements
4. Coordinate change requirements with ATC.

If you can get this done before you get to the NDB, great. If it takes a turn or two in the hold, fine. At this point, there's no need that I can see to rush through things and possibly make mistakes, like pulling the wrong mixture or feathering the wrong propeller (the latter is highly entertaining at 400 feet after takeoff, I might add )

This is, of course, assuming that you can maintain your assigned altitude with the engine inoperative...if you can't, I'd expedite the approach.

Fly safe!

David

 

[minitour]

Would most of you say then that even if it means a turn away from the good engine that's okay?

I've been involved in debates lately with other CFIs, charter "captains" and DPEs that say all turns into the good engine.

That never made sense to me...if you've got a left turn PT coming up and lose the left side, I wouldn't want to chance doing a right PT...but maybe thats because I'm a pusky.

IMHO I'd enter the hold as cleared while keeping the plane under control, investigate the problem, run the checklist and shut down if necessary.

-mini

 

[CalifDan]

MauleSkinner has it right, including an exception if altitude can't be maintained.

Minitour, I certainly would try to do as much of the manuevering as possible turning into the good engine. It gives you an edge, why not take it. Also, in an IFR environment as indicated in the scenario, you are going to want to be very careful with bank angle in any turn, especially away from the good engine. You will have divided attentions, so why not take the edge. I'm trying to think of a hold I've ever done that could not have been done safely on the other side. Must be some somewhere.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Would most of you say then that even if it means a turn away from the good engine that's okay?

I've been involved in debates lately with other CFIs, charter "captains" and DPEs that say all turns into the good engine.

That never made sense to me...if you've got a left turn PT coming up and lose the left side, I wouldn't want to chance doing a right PT...but maybe thats because I'm a pusky.
-mini

Personally, I've never flown an airplane, or been in a situation, where turning into the dead engine created any type of hazard...

Having said that, I think the theory is that the asymetric thrust and extra lift on one wing due to prop wash can make it difficult to lift the "engine-out" wing, but I believe that it's really only an issue if the airplane is marginally controllable in that condition anyway. IOW, if I'm at Vmc instead of Vyse, I don't have any extra rudder to help pick up the wing, so yes, all of my turns are probably going to be into the good engine. At Vyse (or higher), everything I've flown is highly controllable, so it hasn't been an issue. In between there, well, I haven't really spent any time in between there, so I'm not gonna speculate

Notice that I've qualified these statements with "everything I've flown"...I haven't flown them all, and and the only hard-and-fast rule in aviation is that there are no hard-and-fast rules in aviation. Individual airplanes may vary.

Fly safe!

David