Recently, the AOPA Web site featured a video shot by Mooney pilot Dave Keller of an eventful takeoff. Unfortunately, the engine in Kellers Mooney failed shortly after liftoff on February 6, 2009. Fortunately for both the pilot and us, he had set up a video camera to record the flight. Equally fortunate, he was taking off from his home base, and was very familiar with the runway layout and the airplane. 288
Turning Back, Again
Recently, the AOPA Web site featured a video shot by Mooney pilot Dave Keller of an eventful takeoff. Unfortunately, the engine in Kellers Mooney failed shortly after liftoff on February 6, 2009. Fortunately for both the pilot and us, he had set up a video camera to record the flight. Equally fortunate, he was taking off from his home base, and was very familiar with the runway layout and the airplane. Keller turned back to the departure airport, where he managed to land, deadstick, on a different runway. He emerged uninjured and the airplane was undamaged. The video presentation is available online at http://tinyurl.com/yev96er.
Key Takeaways:
- Highly experienced pilot Dave Keller successfully executed a rare and high-risk turnback maneuver after an engine failure shortly after takeoff, landing safely due to exceptional skill and familiarity with his aircraft and airport.
- Despite Keller's success, the article strongly cautions against advocating the "turnback maneuver" for general pilots, citing studies that show straight-ahead landings are consistently safer and have higher success rates.
- Keller's unique success highlights the critical importance of excellent airmanship and precise knowledge of airspeeds, such as best angle of climb and optimal glide speeds, during engine-out emergencies.
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