USMCmech
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2005
- Posts
- 259
PCL_128 said:To all that disagree, answer me this one question: what are you going to do when your one and only engine fails?
The same thing you will do when your one and only wing spar cracks, or your one and only avionics master shorts out, or your one and only heater fuel line breaks. Even in the most up to date twin (or airliner for that matter) there are plenty of single points of failure that can kill you.
Don't think stress cracks can hide for years as they grow to a point where the wing falls off, think again. Dual alternators and batteries don't mean squat if the switch on the pannel breaks. That extra engine isn't going to do any good if the fuel line leading to the heater starts leaking fuel and finds a spark.
In 10 years of turning wrenches I have seen those examples plus a lot more. The handfull of broken engines I have fixed were not well maintained and had given warning signs for days before throwing in the towel.
I will not fly IMC at all in any airplane if I am not satisfied it is in an airworthy condition. However anybody who thinks that havving an extra engine or a turbine, will keep them safe is kidding themselves. There are hundreds of ways for an airplane to kill you that you can't controll.
Alaska air MD80, elevator jackscrew stripped
United 232 engine blew apart (nobody would have seen that one comming)
TWA 800 fuel tank explosion
Valujet DC-9 cargo fire
All of these disasters were not preventable by the pilots no matter how safe or profesional they were. Every time you get into an airplane you are putting your faith in the belief that a whole lot of people did their job corectly.
As I have said before, any flight in any airplane involves some amount of risk. Single engine IFR obviously has more risk than VFR. How much risk you are willing to assume is an individual decision based on multiple factors that change on every flight.
Anybody who says that they won't fly single engine IMC, good for you, you have made a good decision based on your accepable level of risk. Each individual must make their own call.
Last edited: