Lessons Relearned: Emergency Aircraft Landing

My wife and I planned a flight to the San Francisco area to attend our eldest granddaughters college graduation. On the morning of departure, I obtained a standard briefing indicating beautiful VFR for the entire flight. We headed to the airport, preflighted the aircraft and loaded our luggage. A smooth takeoff run was followed by a crisp climbout in the cool morning air to our cruising altitude of 9500 feet.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, January 07, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot experienced a sudden, violent engine malfunction mid-flight, forcing an immediate emergency landing at a nearby airport, which was successfully executed.
The incident highlighted the pilot's prior complacency, as he admitted to not actively scouting for suitable emergency landing sites over unsuitable terrain.
The pilot's key takeaways include the importance of constantly identifying potential emergency landing options and always declaring an emergency due to the potential for unforeseen associated problems.

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My wife and I planned a flight to the San Francisco area to attend our eldest granddaughter’s college graduation. On the morning of departure, I obtained a standard briefing indicating beautiful VFR for the entire flight. We headed to the airport, preflighted the aircraft and loaded our luggage. A smooth takeoff run was followed by a crisp climbout in the cool morning air to our cruising altitude of 9500 feet.

The GPS showed we were on course and I opened our flight plan. The morning sun on the eastern flanks of the Cascades bathed the mountains in a beautiful warm glow as they slid past the windows. In the distance, Mt. Shasta loomed at over 14,000 feet in the windscreen. I pointed out the Klamath Falls airport as it came into view.