Know Where To Go

My father was a mechanic for a major airline. One day he was a passenger on one of the company’s Boeing 767s on a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. As the heavy Boeing lifted off into a low overcast at O’Hare, the right engine failed. My father later told me he could hear the change in noise and feel the deck angle, but said the crew artfully handled the failure and engine shutdown, and most passengers probably didn’t notice anything unusual had happened.

Key Takeaways:

• Pilots should establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to pre-plan a "takeoff alternate" before every IFR departure, preparing for potential emergencies or abnormalities immediately after takeoff.
• This involves identifying a suitable alternate airport (which may not be the departure airport) and preparing navigation and communication, thereby reducing high-stress decision-making during critical, high-workload flight phases.
• Having a takeoff alternate is crucial because various issues, not solely engine failure, can necessitate an immediate return or diversion, and pre-made decisions help prevent minor problems from escalating into serious incidents.
• The optimal alternate often offers better safety margins, such as longer runways, precision approaches, or ATC support, especially when departing in poor weather or from airports with challenging conditions.

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