Skip to content

09-B: Emergency Approach and Landing (simulated)

Knowledge

K1: Immediate action items and emergency procedures

  • engine stoppage in flight

    • checklist use
      • perform memory items as per POH/AFM
      • use of the emergency checklist if practical

  • emergency descent

    • complex airplane in turbulent conditins
      • power idle
      • prop set to high RPM
      • do not exceed VFE or VA with the gear and flaps extended

K2: Airspeed, including

K2a: Importance of best glide speed and its relationship to distance

  • glide speed
    • stay sharply at best glide to ensure judgement of gliding distance and landing spot
      • variations will nullify attemps at accuracy in judgment of gliding distance and landing spot

K2b: Difference between best glide speed and minimum sink speed

K3c: Effects of wind on glide distance

  • downwind landing

    • faster groundspeed at touchdown
    • longer ground roll / increased landing distance
    • likelihood of overshooting the desired touchdown point

  • tailwind increases the gliding distance

K3: Effects of atmospheric conditions on emergency approach and landing

K4: A stablized approach, including energy management concepts

K5: Emergency Locator Transmitter (LETs) and other emergency locating devices

K6: Air Traffic Control (ATC) services to aircraft in distress

Engine failure: in flight

Mnemonic: ABCDE

A: Airspeed at best glide speed (generally 65 KIAS)

C172: - 65 KIAS (Flaps Up) - 60 KIAS (Flaps 10)

best glide speed (see above): most distance for the current altitude minimum sink speed (45 KIAS): most time in the air for the current altitude (but we won't get as far)

B: Best landing site

1) glide ratio: 9:1 before wind correction at 65 KIAS - vertical speed: approx. 1000FPM - descent profile: 1.5NM per 1000 FPM 2) acknowledge wind direction and velocity

C: Checklist by memory

2 fuel inputs (if shutoff valve exists): 1) shut-off valve 2) fuel selector 3 levers on the right (if carb heat exists): 1) mixture, power, carb heat 4 inputs on the left side: 1) master [power supply for aux fuel pump], aux fuel pump (or primed and locked), magnetos, aux fuel pump off (on again if shut down afterwards)

try restart engine

Floor-to-door 1) Fuel shutoff valve: ON (push full in, thus, fuel flowing) 2) Fuel selector: BOTH 3) Mixture: FULL RICH 4) Power: FULL POWER (full in) 5) Carb heat: ON (if carburated) 6) Aux fuel pump: ON 7) Master: ON 8) Magnetos/ignition: BOTH, then try LEFT, then try RIGHT (if windmilling restart), or START (if prop frozen) 9) Aux fuel pump: OFF (If fuel flow indicator immediately drops to zero, indicating engined-driven fuel pump failure likely, turn aux fuel pump on again)

if engine does not restart: avoid fire 1) Fuel shutoff valve: OFF (push full in, thus, fuel flowing) 2) Mixture: IDLE CUT OFF 3) Power: FULL IDLE 4) Aux fuel pump: OFF 5) Magnetos/ignition: OFF 6) Master: AS NEEDED

leave master on for radio, flaps, & lights (if we do not suspect a fire)

D: Declare

1) 121.5 MHz (International Air Distress frequency / VHF Guard) on "mayday, mayday, mayday [callsign]" 2) Squawk 7700 3) ELT: ACTIVATE

Approach

  • Use only shallow turns (steep turns increase the stall speed from which we cannot recover easily without engine)
  • Circle over the downwind leg
  • Enter traffic pattern at 1000 feet AGL, but keep the pattern tight
  • Divide runway into thirds and aim for touchdown point where first and second thirds meet
  • Flaps if runway is assured

E: Exit

Just prior to landing: 1) Seats: SECURE / UPRIGHT 2) Fuel shutoff valve: OFF (Pull full out) 3) Mixture: IDLE CUT OFF 4) Magntos/ignioon: OFF 5) Doors: UNLATCH 6) ELT: ACTIVATE

Leave master on for radio, flaps, & lights

above 3000 feet: - refer to the checklist