Single-Engine Risks

While few of us feel that flying a single is particularly risky, add night and then add mountains and the risk is clearly higher. Add IMC and, well ...

dboyd

Monday, August 05, 2024 at 07:05 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Night flying and operations over hilly or mountainous terrain significantly increase the risk of fatal single-engine aircraft accidents, with night flights being 2.2 times riskier than day flights.
In the event of an engine failure, emergency landing options—including nearby airports, highways/roads, or open fields—each present distinct challenges and benefits, particularly at night due to visibility limitations and potential obstacles.
Mitigation strategies involve maintaining adequate altitude (considering oxygen needs), continuously evaluating potential landing sites within glide range, adhering to higher weather minimums, and leveraging technology like EFBs and synthetic vision for improved situational awareness.

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Poring over accident reports is my mainstay as an aviation-safety researcher and after many years I’ve developed a thick skin about most accidents I research. However, a recent fatal accident (November 2023—NTSB ERA24FA050) involving a turbocharged Piper Saratoga (N4187Q) on an IFR flight plan between Scott Municipal Airport (KSCX) in Tennessee and HL Sonny Callahan Airport (KCQF) in Alabama struck close to home.

The pilot had been a member of our flying club and I had flown his leased-back Saratoga TC on multiple occasions. Although the final NTSB report has yet to be published, I want to explore two of the operational risk factors applicable to the accident flight, namely night and hilly terrain. I’ll dive into published research on the level of risk we assume when operating a single-engine airplane under these conditions. I’ll also explore how we can mitigate such risks.