Anticipating Engine Failure

Failure of a single-engine aircrafts lone powerplant is something students train for beginning with their first instructional flight. If they continue to certification, theyve studied the basics of how engines work, the air, fuel and ignition source they need to keep working, and at least some understanding of the signs theyre about to stop. Most trainers lack the kind of sophisticated engine instrumentation that technology has brought us over the last couple of decades, so many students still fly behind gauges the basic design of which can be traced back to pre-WWII automobiles.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Monday, July 18, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article emphasizes the importance of sophisticated engine monitors in modern aircraft, but notes a common issue where pilots often lack the skill to interpret their indications or disregard crucial warnings.
A fatal accident involving a Beech Model S35 Bonanza was determined to be caused by a total loss of engine power due to detonation/preignition damage in the No. 6 cylinder.
Investigation revealed extensive engine damage consistent with lack of lubrication, thermal distress, and preignition, indicating a catastrophic internal engine failure.
The NTSB concluded that the pilot likely failed to observe or understand clear indications of impending engine failure—such as dropping oil pressure or rising temperatures—which may have been observable even during an unusually long pre-takeoff run-up.

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Failure of a single-engine aircraft’s lone powerplant is something students train for beginning with their first instructional flight. If they continue to certification, they’ve studied the basics of how engines work, the air, fuel and ignition source they need to keep working, and at least some understanding of the signs they’re about to stop. Most trainers lack the kind of sophisticated engine instrumentation that technology has brought us over the last couple of decades, so many students still fly behind gauges the basic design of which can be traced back to pre-WWII automobiles.

As they progress to more sophisticated aircraft, so, too, does the engine instrumentation become more capable. Today, the modern engine monitors available for aircraft can display many more parameters than the old gauges, and even present more details than a top-of-the-line luxury car. If there’s any problem remaining, it’s that pilots all too rarely don’t know how to use an engine monitor, or disregard its indications.