A question on simulated engine failure

[fredplusplus]

Hi all,

I am preparing my PPL checkride and I have one question about simulated engine out.

So in a engine failure situation, I would pitch for 65knots (C-172), find a spot, and imagine it as a runway, and spiral down on a left traffic pattern.

I know I am supposed to be at TPA at the last spiral and each spiral eats about 500 fts. At the last spiral when I abeam the numbers, what would the best thing to do if I'm at 1200 or 700 instead of 1000 AGL?

Thanks!

 

[BillTIZ]

Depending on the airport, TPA is not always 1000ft AGL.
If at 700 ft, forget the altimeter, look out the window and fly your traffic pattern, adjusting your base and final legs to get to your threshold.

If I was at 1200 ft, I wouldn't do another 360 spiral, I would start my pattern and adjust.
But that's just me.

We teach our glider students to look at the angles and what seems right, every downwind will not be at the same hard TPA altitude to start, and up and down drafts, winds will be different. Use the angles, fly your speeds and forget the altimeter.

 

[brcase]

Just adjust your downwind (longer or shorter) and base leg (add a dog leg if you might be low) to make the it work. Learn what angle to the runway you need to make a power off approach, keep it high and add flaps as needed once you are sure you have it made.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

 

[Mafoo]

Hmm....

I am not being taught to imagine a runway. My CFI will just randomly pull the throttle out to idol and say "your engine quite, what do you do?". If I say "I land in that field over there", he has me setup for it, but before we get to close, fly out.

If I am close enough to land on a runway, he calls the tower and lets them know we are practicing an emergency landing, and I land it.

In these cases, I head directly for the runway (after I get to the right speed, and have done all the other tasks). If I am too high, I do a slip. Once I know I am going to make the runway, I apply flaps and land.

I have yet to be told to ever spiral.

 

[X3 Skier]

Hmm....
I have yet to be told to ever spiral.

I always figure something bad like traffic, a power line not clearly seen, whatever, could happen on a decent to a potential spot farther away than a perfectly good one right below me so I circle until I "Feel Good" about the approach to landing. OTOH, if there is a runway within my gliding distance that's always my first choice.

Cheers

 

[Tex_Mike]

Hmm....

I am not being taught to imagine a runway. My CFI will just randomly pull the throttle out to idol and say "your engine quite, what do you do?". If I say "I land in that field over there", he has me setup for it, but before we get to close, fly out.

If I am close enough to land on a runway, he calls the tower and lets them know we are practicing an emergency landing, and I land it.

In these cases, I head directly for the runway (after I get to the right speed, and have done all the other tasks). If I am too high, I do a slip. Once I know I am going to make the runway, I apply flaps and land.

I have yet to be told to ever spiral.

That is exactly what I do. The last thing I am worried about is TPA. I view this as one of those situations where I focus on landing the plane and getting my angles and airspeeds where they need to be to make the field. Practicing this at the airport is a different story. I want to make sure I am not endangering other traffic with my non standard approach to the field. I fly out of an un-towered field so I just watch for traffic and then announce a simulated engine out landing on the CTAF. I would not do this maneuver with other traffic in the pattern but that is just me.

 

[Mafoo]

I would not do this maneuver with other traffic in the pattern but that is just me.

The towered airport we fly from ( KLEB ) is not a very busy airport at all. When we have done it, there was no traffic around.

 

[Mafoo]

I always figure something bad like traffic, a power line not clearly seen, whatever, could happen on a decent to a potential spot farther away than a perfectly good one right below me so I circle until I "Feel Good" about the approach to landing. OTOH, if there is a runway within my gliding distance that's always my first choice.

Cheers

I guess if you are 6,500 feet in the air or something that makes sense. I have yet to train an engine out at that altitude. All of them have been under 2500 AGL.

 

[HighFlyingA380]

The steep spiral, such as what you're describing is a commercial pilot maneuver, where they expect you be be more precise on altitudes and such. At the private level, you should not be worried about that, but rather just get to the point of flying by feel, and not by numbers. Do what you need to do in order to safely get on the ground. Simple as that. If you're low, find a closer landing spot. If you're high, slip, do 360's, do s-turns, use flaps. Whatever you feel is necessary to land safely.