Failure of a single’s engine is something on which primary students spend a lot of training time. In addition to running the emergency checklist and maintaining control of the airplane, looking for and maneuvering to land on a suitable surface are stressed. Managing the energy stored in altitude and airspeed is but one part of this training; properly performing the emergency checklist is another.
When a fatal accident results from an engine failure, other pilots routinely think it won’t happen to them. They know they’ll perform the proper checklists, pick a suitable landing area, fly the airplane to a stop, get out and use their cellphone to call for assistance. That’s the way it’s supposed to work. Sometimes, it doesn’t.
