Twin-Engine Troubles

Nothing else is as good as control.

Peter Garrison

Wednesday, August 09, 2023 at 12:30 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Twin-engine aircraft, particularly those with reciprocal engines, are paradoxically considered more dangerous than singles during an engine failure immediately after takeoff due to the increased complexity of the emergency.
Successfully managing a twin-engine failure at low altitude requires swift, flawless execution of multiple critical steps, including identifying the failed engine, controlling yaw, maintaining airspeed, and feathering the propeller.
The failure to feather the inoperative engine's propeller creates significant drag, making control difficult and potentially leading to a loss of control, even if the aircraft's airspeed is initially above the minimum control speed (VMC).
Psychological factors, such as pilot expectations of saving the aircraft and the overwhelming nature of the emergency, can lead to mental paralysis, hindering effective decision-making and execution of critical procedures.

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It has often been said, never more so than by FLYING’s erstwhile editor, Richard Collins, that a single-engine airplane is a better bet than a twin if an engine fails right after takeoff, because the chance of the pilot of a twin successfully handling the emergency is so small. This paradox applies, to be sure, to recips, with their meager surplus power. Turbines have it easier. Still, the single-engine pilot has only one task: land. Twin-engine pilots have their hands full.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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