'What the...?'

There's no good time to have an engine failure, but some are better than others. After taking off is never one of them.

Jim Wolper

Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Multi-engine pilot training critically focuses on mastering decisive and correct responses to engine failures, especially at low altitudes, prioritizing immediate rudder input and deliberate securing procedures to prevent dangerous scenarios like VMC rollovers.
Pilots must thoroughly understand complex aircraft systems and pre-decide emergency actions, rigorously studying the POH/AFM, which is particularly vital for older aircraft with unique challenges and limited performance data.
Multi-engine instructors bear significant responsibility for safe training, needing to avoid unnecessary risks and prepare students for critical, rapid-onset emergencies while addressing common pilot errors.

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The takeoff seemed to go well, right up until the left engine failed. Autofeather quickly had the propeller blades of the failed engine turned to minimize drag. I raised the landing gear; I did not need to worry about flaps because I never take off with flaps in this airplane. The multi-engine pilot’s rosary—power up, clean up, identify, verify, feather—was complete.

So why wouldn’t the airplane climb?