Partial Engine Failure, Off Airport Landing

TipTanks

Pre-takeoff checklist
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TipTanks
Good analysis of a P51 with a partial engine out situation. This is a short clip, there is a longer one too.

 
It’s a shame he couldn’t make the runway just off the left wing.


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I thought he was going to write down the hobbs on his knee board.

Probably figured he could get it later.
 
Absolutely. Not questioning his choice, it's just unfortunate he wasn't able to get there (or decided it was a poor option).
The pilot mentions in the interview that he made the mistake of putting the gear down too early because the tower kept telling him 'your gear's not down'. If he had delayed putting it down, he very well might have made the runway, but as it is, he made an excellent decision to pull the wheels back up and give up the runway when he did.

I don't know what the P-51 manual says about off airport landings, but in the T-6 manual, it specifically tells you to raise the gear for an off field landing. Those that fail to respect that end up upside down.
 
I thought he was going to write down the hobbs on his knee board.

Probably figured he could get it later.
I think he was in a little bit of shock at that point. He also instinctively spins the canopy hand crank a few times even though it had already jettisoned.
 
It has to be a hard decision to turn away from the runway when it's right there, but it might have saved him from serious injury.
 
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