Single Engine Mindset

Every time I fly, I am reminded that of all mankind's inventions, flying has to be one of the most amazing and rewarding. The sheer marvel of defying gravity and covering vast distances in mere hours is a testament to human ingenuity and progress. It not only connects people across the globe but also opens up endless opportunities for exploration, adventure, and the exchange of ideas, making it, I believe, one of the greatest achievements in our history.

Despite the amazement, flying comes with hazards and risks, which are especially pronounced in single-engine aircraft. None of these risks is more attention-getting than an engine failure. You must be continuously and confidently prepared for engine failure. It is not enough to know simply to turn to the red section of the checklist, to have memorized a “flow” to get the engine restarted, or to remember a forced landing checklist. You have to be ready to lose an engine and know exactly what you are going to do and where you are going to land every minute of every flight.

Every phase of flight and varying flight conditions offer unique challenges and considerations when it comes to an engine failure; and as rapidly as these conditions change, so should your game plan. Allow me to give you some examples.

What is your game plan during takeoff? You should have 3-4 different plans, each executed based on the takeoff timeline and conditions. Your actions during takeoff roll while still on the ground are probably different than those taken at 200 feet AGL with 3,000 feet of concrete in front of you. What is your plan? Have you thought it through? What if the departure end of the runway is behind you? What are your actions now? Have you gone out and surveyed your airfield? Where are the ditches, powerlines, and steeply rising terrain? Are there telephone poles along what you thought would be a good road to land on? If not, consider doing so.

What is your “impossible turn” game plan? At what altitude will you turn back in an attempt to land on the runway, or will you simply continue straight ahead? Let’s look at these two scenarios.

Many will brief, “If I am at traffic pattern altitude, I will turn back towards the runway and…” Think hard about this plan, especially if you are a student or new pilot. If you lose an engine at 1,000 AGL, in a matter of just a few seconds you have to do the following and do it perfectly: lower your pitch for best glide, turn about 45 degrees of bank to expedite the turn, make a radio call, execute either an engine restart or engine failure checklist (or execute the forced landing checklist), ensure your passengers are securely strapped in, and watch for departing traffic. What happens to your stall speed when under G loading (turning)? It goes up. What happens to stall speed with bank? It goes up. Do you think best glide (Vg) is now a safe airspeed? Probably not! People die, and die often, attempting this turn. And, it goes without mentioning, while doing all of the above, you are scanning ahead of the airplane looking for a nice place to land. How much time do you think you are going to be afforded looking for a good touchdown point? Not much. Now let’s ask the obvious: assuming you have survived the turn, what is your ground speed? You have to add your touchdown airspeed (usually just above stall) to the tailwind. In other words, the headwind you took off into is now a tailwind. If your touchdown speed is 55 kts and you took off into a 15 kt headwind, you are now landing downwind at 70 kts ground speed. You have just increased the amount of energy your head, internal organs, and your loved ones have to absorb on impact by a factor of 15 squared! That’s 15 x 15! Why? Because the formula for kinetic energy is half your mass times your velocity squared! Now let’s consider the other option.

I lose my engine at 1,000 AGL off the departure end. I simultaneously pitch for best glide, wings level, run my checklists, get out a quick radio call, and then I am done except for a shallow bank here and there to avoid any obstacles. I can now focus on identifying (or finding a spot I previously identified) a place to land. On speed, wings level, into a headwind, properly configured with flaps down. This plan buys you time because you conserved your most important asset during an engine failure – altitude. Using the same math we used above, with a touchdown speed of 55 kts landing into a 15 kt headwind, my ground speed at touchdown will be 30 kts! Now ask yourself, do you want to land at 70 kts ground or 30 kts ground? I leave it up to you to decide. Having discussed the takeoff phase, let’s look at cruise flight.

Whatever your brain may be tasked with, either during straight and level cruise flight or out in the practice area performing maneuvers, there must be a part of your grey matter reserved for answering the following question: where am I putting the airplane if I lose an engine? This is a continual process no matter what you are doing in the air. Prior to every maneuver, you should know where the nearest runway is, where the smoothest field is located, where and what is the best road to land on, and, very importantly, from what direction the wind is blowing.

While maneuvering, glance out and identify viable places to land. If you see a good road to land on, assess the location of vehicles, look for “holes” in the traffic, and ask yourself, “If I lost my engine, could I land there?”

During cross-country flying, do you fly direct from point to point, or do you fly from airfield to airfield? Do you fly adjacent to roads, or do you cut the corner across hazardous terrain to save time and money? Much of my route planning is predicated, obviously, on terrain. I have a lot more options over the flat plains of western Kansas than I do over the alligator-infested swamps of south Louisiana!

Lastly, you come home after nailing your maneuvers or flying a great cross-country, how are you going to fly your traffic pattern? Do you fly nice, wide, comfortable patterns, or are you close enough to the airfield to make it to a runway if you lose a motor? I prefer the latter. If you have never done an engine-out exercise while in the pattern, ask to see one flown with a qualified instructor. It is eye-opening how fast it happens, how poorly our planes glide, and how close your downwind must be to the runway to make it to the runway in the event of an engine failure. Do this, and you will probably adjust your traffic pattern forevermore!

I will close with this: if you spend enough time in aviation, you will at some point in time experience a loss of power or even a complete engine failure. Now is the time to formulate a plan, think about what you are going to do and how you are going to do it.

Fly safe!