by Rick McGuire, Attorney
This picture (I apologize for the quality) is the result of an engine loss and the pilot not trained to “STABILIZE” the aircraft and bring it back for a landing. It is a Vmc roll. In this case the left engine was failing or failed, and the right engine was still developing take off power. This situation occurred right after liftoff.
At Aircraft Simulator Training we train multi engine pilots. We drill, over and over, with cg and weight changes, our procedure for engine loss at the worst possible time and that is after liftoff. If you use the FAA way of “everything forward, gear and flaps up…”, and the rest of the items, you will end up like this. There is not enough time to STABILIZE the aircraft and go through 8 to 10 steps to save the aircraft. There has to be 4 or 5 steps and it has to be automatic after you rotate. If you have to think the procedure out, you will end up like this aircraft in the photo.
One thing that we drill into every cabin class twin pilot it that you have to have great instrument skills to recover on one engine after liftoff. If you try to fly the aircraft looking out the window, at the time of the loss, you will lose the airplane. At Aircraft Simulator Training we are going to teach you our procedure to get over the PUCKER FACTOR (10 seconds of “what happened”) and to respond automatically. If you have to think about the recovery, then the chances you are going to make it are very slim.
Years ago, I was flying a Piper Navajo from Houston to Hattiesburg Mississippi. Myself and my co-pilot were talking, and we were finishing up a long day. Needless to say, we were around Baton Rouge and one engine started to quit. Not thinking I went for the mixtures and switched tanks and my co-pilot went for the pumps. It was automatic. There was no “pucker factor,” no wasted time, no looking at each other. We did, in a matter of seconds, what we were trained to do, get fuel flowing. This is what you have to do in an emergency. Prior to hitting the emergency checklist, you have to get the plane STABILIZED.
I hate what happened to the innocent parties in the King Air 350 at Addison Texas. Please train and train hard. Aircraft Simulator Training has a one-day emergency course for all cabin class twins and King Air aircraft.