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 face a unique and often more dangerous challenge than single-engine planes during an engine failure shortly after takeoff, due to the complex, precise, and time-sensitive emergency procedures required at low altitude.
A critical factor in unsuccessful twin-engine failure emergencies is the pilot's inability to swiftly and flawlessly execute steps such as identifying the failed engine, controlling airspeed and yaw, and most importantly, feathering the inoperative propeller to minimize drag.
Pilot expectations to save the aircraft, combined with the potential for mental paralysis or panic, can hinder effective response; if control is lost, the ultimate life-saving strategy is to power down the good engine and land straight ahead, prioritizing control.

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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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