Losing Control Is Easy

It was a warm, blustery late-spring day in Texas. Visibility was restricted by the haze, and the afternoons updrafts were in full bloom. The whole package made the air hot, bumpy and thick. I had a multi-engine checkride scheduled in a few days, so my instructor and I were aloft in the Piper Seneca I that Id been using and were up to no good, trying to buff out the rough spots. This was for a commercial multi-engine checkride and emphasized instrument work.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

During a simulated single-engine flight in turbulent conditions, a pilot preparing for a checkride unexpectedly lost control when a strong downdraft caused airspeed to drop below VMC, leading to an uncontrolled roll.
The pilot successfully recovered by immediately reducing power on the operating engine and pitching down to regain airspeed, demonstrating effective training and quick reactions.
The incident highlighted how easily control can be lost under adverse circumstances, the critical importance of good training, and the humbling realization that even experienced pilots can face such situations.

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It was a warm, blustery late-spring day in Texas. Visibility was restricted by the haze, and the afternoon’s updrafts were in full bloom. The whole package made the air hot, bumpy and thick. I had a multi-engine checkride scheduled in a few days, so my instructor and I were aloft in the Piper Seneca I that I’d been using and were up to no good, trying to buff out the rough spots. This was for a commercial multi-engine checkride and emphasized instrument work.

Part of the training involves demonstrating what happens to directional control when decelerating through VMC, the minimum controllable single-engine speed, and then recovering. Our one-engine inoperative work while maneuvering involved setting power on the “failed” engine to estimate zero thrust. We shut one down and restarted it “for real,” but only in straight-and-level flight and with plenty of altitude