TURNBACKS400AGL
Ejection Handle Pulled
ROTAT KINDS= Reduction Of Thrust After Take Off
Most piston engine fails are the ROTAT kind. A Reduction Of Thrust AFTER Take off. I had 3 engine failures on piston single engine in the 3,000 hours that i flew and taught on pistons in South America old airplanes in the 1980's, And teaching EFATO and ROTAT emergencies in USA in the 1990’s. 2 of the 3 I had were partial power and after take off. One was total. Cherokee 180/150hp.
One, fuel pressure, the other a bad cylinder. Gave me a lot of experience and insight about them. I also had to do an idle Turnback from 700 agl with no power on Cherokee, fuel pressure dropping. I will share details here. By 1994, after I studied the 3 events I had, I created maneuvers and methods to do ROTAT Turnaround the airport and Turnbacks to nearest runways. 3 Good Turnbacks saved me from crashing on houses. I taught ROTAT’s on 4,700 long runway before I went to fly Private Jets in 1997.
In 1995, I made the first video ever in the world about 400 agl Turnbacks, vs Turnarounds maneuvers doing REAL LANDINGS. Also what I called “The Low Altitude Pull Syndrome” that makes pilot do sudden stalls (Lately I call It The Panic Pulls). Flight Indicators and power indicators I created too. Also what is called lately “A DMMS Line”. I showed on the video Bush Pilots Tricks to land tailwind, and new engine test tricks too. New flap tricks for shorter To/Lndgs too shown on video, 1st time ever.
I commented on many youtube accidents videos along with 3 of my students. Have more.
There are 2 basic kinds of partial power engine fails ROTATs/Reduction of Thrust After Take Off
1-The Engine Vibration ROTAT with some power reduction that kills the climb.
2-The Surging Engine ROTAT. The Engine Cutting on and off ROTAT (The worst ROTAT).
On the “”Vibration ROTAT” you sort of lose the climb power. Most fixed pitch prop engines lose 400/500 rpm, to around 1,900 rpm more or less. It is a partial power lost only. If so, if over 400 agl, you can still Turnback or Turnaround airport if know how to before. Dont know ? Dont go there, good luck crashing outside the airport. Lean mixture and SOME carb heat apply after lowering the nose. I will explain the 2 maneuvers to do if over 400 agl, with partial power ROTAT. The Engine cutting or Surging on and off ROTAT, is the most dangerous and complicated and you might not turn much as you can with partial power over 1,800 rpm like in the partial power “Vibration ROTAT.
Before you practice any ROTAT, even partial power, YOU SHOULD ADD 3 indicators. 1,800 rpm is around The Minimum Level Power on most singles. You should put a mark on the Minimum Level Power at your TPA on RPM indicator. Also a blue line on Vglide speed. I show them on my 1995 video. Those indicators make it easier to do emergency maneuvering. Specially Emergency Low Maneuvering under TPA (ELM). ELM is the most dangerous and difficult maneuvering. No room for big pilot errors or pilot ignorance. All pilots should know ELM before PPL. But most don’t in USA.
The Vibration ROTAT;
Most times is one cylinder failed and you are on 3 only, if 4 cylinder engine. You lose all climb mostly.
1-Nose down to reduce angle of attack. 2- Lean Mixture a bit 3- Carb on a bit too. Dont exaggerate those. Change tanks while calling “Mayday on climb out and need to return”. If over 400 agl, but under 700 agl, consider to Teardrop Turnback, Tell to clear the runway, Im doing a Teardrop.
ROTAT Teardrop Turnback is done only with over the Minimum Level Power. Teardrops have 2 turns, 1st one to the right or away from wind direction to make room (Away from any crosswind if any) and 2nd Turn to go to align on runway. Practice them on sim first. Easier to practice over a road or highway at say 600 agl & Vglide speed. Better to do it with a direct crosswind. Select a spot to start and finish the teardrop turn.
First turn away from wind, second turn, into the wind always for lower ground speed to align. Do a few each way, until you get used to. They are fun to do precision maneuvers that can save you later on if well done, or kill you if done bad way. So do them right by practicing well.
I created years ago, a method easier to remember, The 414 Teardrop Rule. Practice it first using The 600 agl, Vglide speed slow flight with 10 degr. Flaps. 1- Right Turn, or away from crosswind if any. 40 degrees away. 2-Fly at Vglide about 1k feet away from place to go back to. 3- Turn 40 degrees of bank to go align. The 414 Teardrop Turnback. You can do Teadrop Turnbacks on 4 places, GRM Double Flyovers, Box Canyon Turnbacks, Circling Approaches Turnbacks and ROTAT”s of course. You do them at about Vglide use some flaps for safety. The 414 Turnback.
After you know the 414 Turnbacks, consider take off climb outs at an angle to at least do the first leg of the teardrop turnback if engine trouble, open door, hard bird strike, fire or any requirement to turnback, not just turnaround the airport. Some pilots call turnaround accidents “you see, another turnback accident”. They are so wrong. Dont know those maneuvers.
THE SURGING ROTAT or engine surging. = Engine cutting on and off to under MLP line.
Surging ROTATS can be very tricky. They can fool you into doing a quick Turnaround or a Turnback because you are getting lots of sudden power, but then you lose it all too. If lose it in the middle of those maneuvers you might crash short. It is mostly a fuel problem. So even if over the 400 agl, after nose a bit down to Vglide, fuel pump check on & change tanks in 3-4 seconds tops, look for a landing spot ahead of the wings and headwind before either turnback or turnaround maneuver.
First you lower nose, then change tanks and be close to the 700 agl before Turnback to opposite or side runway with quicker Hook Turnback, not Teardrop (I will detail Hook Turnbacks later on) and dont think about going around the airport, a turnaround is much longer than any kind of turnback, the engine can cut out before you complete the longer turnaround. = Dont try any turn to airport under 400 agl if engine is cutting out to under MLP, Be a Turnback or a Turnaround maneuver.
Threat an Engine Surge as an engine fail in next surge. I had one on Cherokee 140, at 600 agl, waited to 700 agl and did a Hook Turnback. 1993, Cherokee 140. Clogged fuel filter.
I created a method for no power Hook Turnback Maneuver I call “The 777 no power Turnback Rule”. of ROTATS. I will post about 777 Hook Turnback on another post. Practice first the 414 Teardrops.
A Turnback is not a Turnaround maneuver. A Turnaround means Turning Around something, like the airport in this case. Like on Turns around a point maneuver. On Turnbacks you don’t turn around anything, just descend to closest runway be behind you if you know how, or to the sides. Those are two very different maneuvers that need to be practiced, or don’t do them at all. Many in USA don’t know.
Many pilots call an accident on A Turnaround, as “Another Turnback accident”, Or “he was trying An 180”. Neither are. Many pilots dont know these 3 maneuvers. They are confused. They talk about turnbacks. But don’t know them all. Turnbacks are Teardrop Kind, or Hook Kind. I taught both kinds to a 4,700’ runway in my 1990’s CFI years. I have videos doing 4 turnbacks to a 4,000 long runway and landing with constant 16 knot tailwinds. On Cherokee Warrior, 1995, Sebastian Airport, Florida.
-------------------MORE ON ANOTHER POST DUE SIZE RESTRICTIONS HERE
Most piston engine fails are the ROTAT kind. A Reduction Of Thrust AFTER Take off. I had 3 engine failures on piston single engine in the 3,000 hours that i flew and taught on pistons in South America old airplanes in the 1980's, And teaching EFATO and ROTAT emergencies in USA in the 1990’s. 2 of the 3 I had were partial power and after take off. One was total. Cherokee 180/150hp.
One, fuel pressure, the other a bad cylinder. Gave me a lot of experience and insight about them. I also had to do an idle Turnback from 700 agl with no power on Cherokee, fuel pressure dropping. I will share details here. By 1994, after I studied the 3 events I had, I created maneuvers and methods to do ROTAT Turnaround the airport and Turnbacks to nearest runways. 3 Good Turnbacks saved me from crashing on houses. I taught ROTAT’s on 4,700 long runway before I went to fly Private Jets in 1997.
In 1995, I made the first video ever in the world about 400 agl Turnbacks, vs Turnarounds maneuvers doing REAL LANDINGS. Also what I called “The Low Altitude Pull Syndrome” that makes pilot do sudden stalls (Lately I call It The Panic Pulls). Flight Indicators and power indicators I created too. Also what is called lately “A DMMS Line”. I showed on the video Bush Pilots Tricks to land tailwind, and new engine test tricks too. New flap tricks for shorter To/Lndgs too shown on video, 1st time ever.
I commented on many youtube accidents videos along with 3 of my students. Have more.
There are 2 basic kinds of partial power engine fails ROTATs/Reduction of Thrust After Take Off
1-The Engine Vibration ROTAT with some power reduction that kills the climb.
2-The Surging Engine ROTAT. The Engine Cutting on and off ROTAT (The worst ROTAT).
On the “”Vibration ROTAT” you sort of lose the climb power. Most fixed pitch prop engines lose 400/500 rpm, to around 1,900 rpm more or less. It is a partial power lost only. If so, if over 400 agl, you can still Turnback or Turnaround airport if know how to before. Dont know ? Dont go there, good luck crashing outside the airport. Lean mixture and SOME carb heat apply after lowering the nose. I will explain the 2 maneuvers to do if over 400 agl, with partial power ROTAT. The Engine cutting or Surging on and off ROTAT, is the most dangerous and complicated and you might not turn much as you can with partial power over 1,800 rpm like in the partial power “Vibration ROTAT.
Before you practice any ROTAT, even partial power, YOU SHOULD ADD 3 indicators. 1,800 rpm is around The Minimum Level Power on most singles. You should put a mark on the Minimum Level Power at your TPA on RPM indicator. Also a blue line on Vglide speed. I show them on my 1995 video. Those indicators make it easier to do emergency maneuvering. Specially Emergency Low Maneuvering under TPA (ELM). ELM is the most dangerous and difficult maneuvering. No room for big pilot errors or pilot ignorance. All pilots should know ELM before PPL. But most don’t in USA.
The Vibration ROTAT;
Most times is one cylinder failed and you are on 3 only, if 4 cylinder engine. You lose all climb mostly.
1-Nose down to reduce angle of attack. 2- Lean Mixture a bit 3- Carb on a bit too. Dont exaggerate those. Change tanks while calling “Mayday on climb out and need to return”. If over 400 agl, but under 700 agl, consider to Teardrop Turnback, Tell to clear the runway, Im doing a Teardrop.
ROTAT Teardrop Turnback is done only with over the Minimum Level Power. Teardrops have 2 turns, 1st one to the right or away from wind direction to make room (Away from any crosswind if any) and 2nd Turn to go to align on runway. Practice them on sim first. Easier to practice over a road or highway at say 600 agl & Vglide speed. Better to do it with a direct crosswind. Select a spot to start and finish the teardrop turn.
First turn away from wind, second turn, into the wind always for lower ground speed to align. Do a few each way, until you get used to. They are fun to do precision maneuvers that can save you later on if well done, or kill you if done bad way. So do them right by practicing well.
I created years ago, a method easier to remember, The 414 Teardrop Rule. Practice it first using The 600 agl, Vglide speed slow flight with 10 degr. Flaps. 1- Right Turn, or away from crosswind if any. 40 degrees away. 2-Fly at Vglide about 1k feet away from place to go back to. 3- Turn 40 degrees of bank to go align. The 414 Teardrop Turnback. You can do Teadrop Turnbacks on 4 places, GRM Double Flyovers, Box Canyon Turnbacks, Circling Approaches Turnbacks and ROTAT”s of course. You do them at about Vglide use some flaps for safety. The 414 Turnback.
After you know the 414 Turnbacks, consider take off climb outs at an angle to at least do the first leg of the teardrop turnback if engine trouble, open door, hard bird strike, fire or any requirement to turnback, not just turnaround the airport. Some pilots call turnaround accidents “you see, another turnback accident”. They are so wrong. Dont know those maneuvers.
THE SURGING ROTAT or engine surging. = Engine cutting on and off to under MLP line.
Surging ROTATS can be very tricky. They can fool you into doing a quick Turnaround or a Turnback because you are getting lots of sudden power, but then you lose it all too. If lose it in the middle of those maneuvers you might crash short. It is mostly a fuel problem. So even if over the 400 agl, after nose a bit down to Vglide, fuel pump check on & change tanks in 3-4 seconds tops, look for a landing spot ahead of the wings and headwind before either turnback or turnaround maneuver.
First you lower nose, then change tanks and be close to the 700 agl before Turnback to opposite or side runway with quicker Hook Turnback, not Teardrop (I will detail Hook Turnbacks later on) and dont think about going around the airport, a turnaround is much longer than any kind of turnback, the engine can cut out before you complete the longer turnaround. = Dont try any turn to airport under 400 agl if engine is cutting out to under MLP, Be a Turnback or a Turnaround maneuver.
Threat an Engine Surge as an engine fail in next surge. I had one on Cherokee 140, at 600 agl, waited to 700 agl and did a Hook Turnback. 1993, Cherokee 140. Clogged fuel filter.
I created a method for no power Hook Turnback Maneuver I call “The 777 no power Turnback Rule”. of ROTATS. I will post about 777 Hook Turnback on another post. Practice first the 414 Teardrops.
A Turnback is not a Turnaround maneuver. A Turnaround means Turning Around something, like the airport in this case. Like on Turns around a point maneuver. On Turnbacks you don’t turn around anything, just descend to closest runway be behind you if you know how, or to the sides. Those are two very different maneuvers that need to be practiced, or don’t do them at all. Many in USA don’t know.
Many pilots call an accident on A Turnaround, as “Another Turnback accident”, Or “he was trying An 180”. Neither are. Many pilots dont know these 3 maneuvers. They are confused. They talk about turnbacks. But don’t know them all. Turnbacks are Teardrop Kind, or Hook Kind. I taught both kinds to a 4,700’ runway in my 1990’s CFI years. I have videos doing 4 turnbacks to a 4,000 long runway and landing with constant 16 knot tailwinds. On Cherokee Warrior, 1995, Sebastian Airport, Florida.
-------------------MORE ON ANOTHER POST DUE SIZE RESTRICTIONS HERE
