Improbable Turns
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 8:26 am
Not to debate the wisdom (or not) of attempting to return to the airport with a failed engine on take off. I keep it in my bag of tricks for airports surrounded by so many obstacles that mushing down anywhere on the airport surface - might be a better bet than trying "straight ahead" into housing/stadiums/schools/trees etc.
Just finished up my transition training with a CFI and we spent a good couple of hours working out some parameters for this. We spent some time at 3,500ft AGL over safe space trying this in various configurations till we got a minimum sink while turning around.
Long and the short:
Sonex A
Vy climb out of 67KIAS
Aircraft trimmed for climb
Chop power (aircraft sags and loss of P factor - swings in the yaw axis)
Clutch stick in "terror" - count three slow - "Oh shoot what happened?"
Pitch down for 60KIAS
Roll 45 degree COORDINATED turn INTO any crosswind
Simultaneously apply Flaps 10
Maintain 60KIAS through the turn till pointed back at the airport surface.
EASE off the flaps 10 while maintaining 60KIAS for a Vg glide.
Perform an emergency landing without power on the surface of the airport - being aware that you are headed downwind, the sight picture will be different and you may need to crush in a slip to get onto the surface.
Loss of altitude while making a 180-240 degree turn to get round - 300ft max.
--
Then tried it over a deserted airport - progressively stepping down till we found a height at which it was almost guaranteed to get you back inside the fence of the airport. That was about 800ft AGL. If you are inside the fence already (big airport) when the engine quits - 500ft AGL might be OK to try from - but you better be on your game and stay coordinated.
--
The key to reducing altitude loss was adding flaps 10 during the turn then getting rid of them to extend the glide. (so a bit like an emergency canyon turn). Without the flaps it was more like a 500-600ft loss.
--
That's all folks.
Just finished up my transition training with a CFI and we spent a good couple of hours working out some parameters for this. We spent some time at 3,500ft AGL over safe space trying this in various configurations till we got a minimum sink while turning around.
Long and the short:
Sonex A
Vy climb out of 67KIAS
Aircraft trimmed for climb
Chop power (aircraft sags and loss of P factor - swings in the yaw axis)
Clutch stick in "terror" - count three slow - "Oh shoot what happened?"
Pitch down for 60KIAS
Roll 45 degree COORDINATED turn INTO any crosswind
Simultaneously apply Flaps 10
Maintain 60KIAS through the turn till pointed back at the airport surface.
EASE off the flaps 10 while maintaining 60KIAS for a Vg glide.
Perform an emergency landing without power on the surface of the airport - being aware that you are headed downwind, the sight picture will be different and you may need to crush in a slip to get onto the surface.
Loss of altitude while making a 180-240 degree turn to get round - 300ft max.
--
Then tried it over a deserted airport - progressively stepping down till we found a height at which it was almost guaranteed to get you back inside the fence of the airport. That was about 800ft AGL. If you are inside the fence already (big airport) when the engine quits - 500ft AGL might be OK to try from - but you better be on your game and stay coordinated.
--
The key to reducing altitude loss was adding flaps 10 during the turn then getting rid of them to extend the glide. (so a bit like an emergency canyon turn). Without the flaps it was more like a 500-600ft loss.
--
That's all folks.