Engine-Failure Risks

It fascinates me that many GA pilots of single-engine airplanes cruise at such low altitudes. Theyre apparently oblivious to the fact that they are flying behind a single engine and if it fails you are on short final to somewhere! Extra altitude not only increases your radius of action, it also adds extra time for trouble shooting (which might eliminate the initial problem altogether) and increases the probability that a Mayday call might be heard. The side benefits include greater aircraft efficiency, cooler temperatures in the summer and possibly a smoother ride, in addition to less-congested airspace. Those long, low, flat, power-on final approaches can put you in the trees if your engine even coughs on short final. Keep a little energy in the bank and make it SOP to shoot for a reasonable aiming point on the runway.

Editorial Staff

Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots of single-engine aircraft should maintain higher altitudes to increase troubleshooting time, expand emergency landing options, and improve communication chances during engine failures.
Night and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) significantly elevate risks for single-engine flight; for overwater flights, always wear appropriate survival gear like PFDs, understanding their proper use (e.g., disabling auto-inflate).
While avoiding known icing is critical, pilots can develop strategies to manage light, intermittent icing by monitoring accumulation, being prepared for immediate altitude changes, and never flying in convective icing.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Kudos to Robert Wright for his terrific article (“The Real Risks Of Engine Failures,” November 2018) on engine failure risk management! I guess it struck a resonant chord with me because it embodies all the risk-mitigating factors that I have tried to follow after getting back into general aviation 20 years ago, following 36-plus years of airline flying.

It fascinates me that many GA pilots of single-engine airplanes cruise at such low altitudes. They’re apparently oblivious to the fact that they are flying behind a single engine and if it fails you are on short final to somewhere! Extra altitude not only increases your “radius of action,” it also adds extra time for trouble shooting (which might eliminate the initial problem altogether) and increases the probability that a Mayday call might be heard. The side benefits include greater aircraft efficiency, cooler temperatures in the summer and possibly a smoother ride, in addition to less-congested airspace. Those long, low, flat, power-on final approaches can put you in the trees if your engine even coughs on short final. Keep a little energy in the bank and make it SOP to shoot for a reasonable aiming point on the runway.