Simple Solution for Twin-Engine Phobia

What if you hand is on the gear up control?

This hint works for turboprops and high powered twins. But I think there needs to be more thought about the decision process that should take place before pushing the throttles forward.

If you fly a light twin, especially with a heavy payload and at a high density altitude, there are times when if you lose an engine after take-off, even with the gear up, the climb might be so anemic and the surrounding geography so risky that the best decision might be to pull both throttles back and simply look for a place to land.

I recently lost a friend that was an ATP, along with two others, in a cabin class twin in what seems to have been a Vmc loss of control accident. If he'd simply pulled the throttles to idle and chose one of the (few) nearby landing areas he would probably still be alive.

I am not sure putting the hands on the prop levers are such a good idea until you know what engine to feather. It only takes a moment to pull the suspected bad engine throttle back and then the engine can be verified. Sometimes the engine runs ok with reduced power and the chances of shutting down the wrong engine are reduced.

I would generally agree with all of the other skeptical commenters. This sentence in particular is questionable: "If you lost an engine while your hand was on the throttles, you simply pulled both throttles back and got on the brakes." I and most pilots I've seen keep their hand on the throttles throughout the takeoff roll and a few seconds after breaking ground to ensure the throttles don't slip toward less power. So in quite a number of cases, the airplane could be quite well airborne with the hand still on the throttles - pulling them and braking at that point wouldn't work. Generally I think this tip is way too simplified.

I give pre-employment flights in our company's Baron. I have seen more than one pilot candidate feather the good engine during a simulated engine failure at altitude. Being correct is always more important than being fast in a piston twin. I think having a hand on the prop controls at low altitude is a really bad idea.

Every, and I emphasize the word "every", situation is different and only the guy in the seat at the time can make the decision.

That said, there is no hard and fast rule that says because you have the ability to go that you must go. If in doubt, whether because of performance or terrain, perhaps it would be better to run through the fence at 40Kts decelerating than to rip through the treetops at 140Kts attempting to demonstrate single-engine performance that isn't there.

My understanding of the 'hands off the throttles/power levers at V1' procedure is to prevent inappropriate dangerous attempts to abort after an engine loss when you have the ability to depart, gain safe altitude, and then determine how to best deal with the problem. Great if you're in a high powered turbine. As others have observed, a low powered piston twin at gross at high density altitude might require an appropriately different plan (e.g. as mentioned earlier, accept that you can not climb out OEI and find the best suitable off field landing location; or better yet, unload weight or wait for cooler air).

The key is the PIC must have a clear plan in mind, best articulated verbally, before every take off as to what will be done if any abnormal condition occurs during any segment of the take off roll. Clearly the 'plan' will vary wildly depending on the equipment, loading, environmental conditions, crew resources and proficiency, etc.

Ok, good, both engines healthy, airspeed alive, Vr, rotate, V1 confirmed, hands off the throttles/power levers. Where to place your mighty right hand now (after deftly flipping up the gear - I know controversial itself: if departing on a 12,000 ft runway why raise the gear immediately after take off, at lower speeds they don't contribute that much to drag and are handy if you need to abort)?

I guess the prop levers are a good choice. The problem, as observed earlier, is that in the anxious moments during an engine loss at lift off it is too easy to feather the wrong engine in haste. I'd love to hear what the Navy procedure is for their turboprops for carrier take offs. Ain't gone stop on the deck.