Engine-Out Energy Management

Moreover, the FAAs Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for private and commercial certificates specify that pilots are to have knowledge of EM concepts for many maneuvers. They include emergency approach and landing, soft-field/rough-field landing, normal approach and landing, short-field landing, various types of water landings, power-off 180-degree accuracy approach and landing and go-around/rejected landing. The word knowledge implies pilots should have, at least, a basic understanding of EM concepts and be able to apply these concepts to tasks in the FAAs ACS.

Michael J. Banner

Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Energy Management (EM), balancing an aircraft's total energy (potential from altitude and kinetic from airspeed), is crucial for flight safety, preventing loss of control, and is a required pilot competency.
In an engine-out scenario, pilots must meticulously manage the limited potential energy (altitude) by maintaining the best glide speed (VG) through precise Angle of Attack (AoA) control to maximize glide time and distance.
Successful dead-stick landings require adhering to immediate actions ("glide, grass, gas"), efficient energy conversion for the approach and flare, and touching down at the lowest controllable speed into the wind to enhance survivability.
Pilots should regularly practice power-off landings and other EM concepts with an instructor or simulator to build and maintain the proficiency required for emergency situations.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Altitude and airspeed, represented as potential energy (EPOT) and kinetic energy (EKIN), respectively, can be thought of as constituting an aircraft’s total energy. Why do we care? Appropriate energy management (EM), maintaining a safe total energy state for all phases of flight, can help avert in-flight loss of control (LOC-I), the unintended departure of an aircraft from controlled flight and the leading fatal-accident cause.

Moreover, the FAA’s Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for private and commercial certificates specify that pilots are to have knowledge of EM concepts for many maneuvers. They include emergency approach and landing, soft-field/rough-field landing, normal approach and landing, short-field landing, various types of water landings, power-off 180-degree accuracy approach and landing and go-around/rejected landing. The word “knowledge” implies pilots should have, at least, a basic understanding of EM concepts and be able to apply these concepts to tasks in the FAA’s ACS.