Single Engine Go-Around in a Seminole (or other light twin)

[CalifDan]

Flaps, Training, etc.

Ralgha,

I'm old school too. I've never earned an accelerated rating and I train to stay proficient in excess of any requirements.

The advice I was concerned about was the idea of a single engine go-around in the scenario that was presented. Some of the posters seem to ignore the fact that the scenario includes a 40 foot agl situation with an almost 900fpm descent. I don't think you are going to be successful and giving the advice to go for it is unrealistic.

Maybe you meant that anyone who can't handle the aircraft should not be in it, and to that extent I agree. If you meant that anyone who could not handle a go-around in the scenario provided should not be in the aircraft, well your bravado outweighs your good sense. If I took your comment wrong, I apologize.

I still feel that losing the flaps instantly (which can be accomplished in the Seminole) is dangerous, given the scenario. Again, 40 feet agl and almost 900fpm descent rate. I'm not sure if that is enough of a change in AOA to cause a stall, but coupled with a strong pull on the yoke (which it would take to arrest that descent rate) you may well stall. It's interesting that some of the responses to this question have ignored or overlooked the dynamics of the situation. In the scenario presented the aircraft can be on the runway with 1000 - 1500 feet remaining, why go around? In 1000 feet of heavy braking you can stop a Seminole or at least slow it enough you probably can make the turn at the end. Even if it isn't pretty.

Frankly, I'd rather loose one on takeoff than attempt a go-around in the scenario provided. At least on take-off I'm mostly heading the right direction and just need to clean up.

 

[lstorm2003]

That, to me, was the deciding factor.

Water usually doesn't have any obstacles out there unless you hit a bridge or oil rig...use the ground effect to clean it up at blue line and get climbing out.

Is it a slow climb? Yep. Should you have chose another runway? HELL yeah!

Is it doable? Most likely...depends on what the climb gradients are. I'd also be checking accel/go charts for my destination in that situation. If you're in the shaded area (such as in the Duchess POH), I'd be planning an "oh sh!t" alternate...just in case.

JMHO

-mini

There is no "accelerate go" published for the Seminole... That should tell you something...

 

[Ralgha]

Ralgha...Back in the early days of my flight training they used to do engine cuts on take-off as part of the multi-engine sylabus. Many of those were Twin Comanches and many of them crashed.

Yes, I'm aware of that. I don't know where in the takeoff process they cut the engine, but I do know that the twin commanche likes to levitate off the ground before reaching RED line, in which case you are well and truely screwed without some extremely quick action if an engine packs it in. Likewise, if you lose an engine during take off AT redline, or even at blue line, you have to be pretty quick on your toes to keep it under control. Regardless, it is COMPETELY beside the point, since in this scenario, you are LANDING, which near idle power, and you are bringing the power up to go around, not going from 100% power to 50% asymetrical power in the blink of an eye.

As I noted above, with 900FPM down, full flaps, and no you are not going to go "BAM" flaps gone, I think it is unlikely that you are going anywhere.

Oh really? Why not? You think it's not going to fly when you suddenly remove the flaps (you better be at blue line)? It will fly. You drop the flaps at adjust the pitch at the same time to maintain blueline. It will stay in the air just fine. Try it.

I'm surprised to see a CFI suggest that if you can't do it (the scenario) you should not be in the aircraft.

Are you from the school of thought that trains for the test and pushes them out the door? I'm not. I'm from the school of thought that you train them to until they're ready to handle reasonable abnormalities on their own, and this is one of those reasonable abnormalities. Sure it costs more, but if they know that up front, they don't have a problem with it, and many appreciate it. Of course if they don't stay in practice, then they might not be able to do it anymore, but that's beyond the CFI's control, and in that case I stand by what I said.

I can tell you that if you provided me that same advice on a training flight, I would discontinue our relationship and have a serious discussion with the flight school.

Which advice are you talking about? That you shouldn't be in the airplane if you can't handle it, or something else I said (which wasn't much)?