Youve been in the clag for what seems like hours. The monochromatic gray outside the windows is broken only by the raindrops streaking up your windscreen and meandering back at a slower pace along your side windows. Youve turned off your strobes, but you can see the reassuring red and green glow of the recognition lights at your wing tips, reflected back from the thick grayness. Before takeoff, Flight Service told you a large low-pressure trough is blanketing the 288
Engine-Out IFR Approach
Youve been in the clag for what seems like hours. The monochromatic gray outside the windows is broken only by the raindrops streaking up your windscreen and meandering back at a slower pace along your side windows. Youve turned off your strobes, but you can see the reassuring red and green glow of the recognition lights at your wing tips, reflected back from the thick grayness.
Key Takeaways:
- In an engine-out emergency in IMC, a GPS moving map navigator (e.g., Garmin GNS430/530) can be used to fashion a "Poor Man's" instrument approach to a VFR-only airport lacking published procedures.
- This involves using the GPS "NRST" function to identify the closest suitable airport and then manually creating an extended runway centerline by flying an intercept course to the runway's magnetic heading.
- A rudimentary glideslope can be established using the GPS's Vertical Navigation (VNAV) page, setting the target altitude and distance to zero at the runway midpoint for a constant descent path.
- This non-FAA-approved procedure is intended solely for extreme emergencies to maximize survivability by guiding the aircraft to the safest possible impact location, as it does not guarantee obstacle clearance like a published instrument approach.
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