Page 43 - Twin and Turbine June 2017

event is an engine failure immediately after takeoff. Move an unseen hand to the fuel selector value and shut off the gas right after the pilot retracts the landing gear – the most accurate way to surprise the pilot with a power loss at a low airspeed/high angle of attack/close proximity to the earth scenario – and you’ve done several things that put the flight in serious risk. It may be realistic, but it’s extremely risky.
Follow accepted technique to simulate engine failure with a throttle reduction done at least 3,000 feet above ground from a speed somewhat higher than initial climb speed is far safer, but the level of pilot-perceived stress is much lower (collision with the earth does not appear imminent), the throttle reduction is a clear marker of the “failed” engine, and in non-turbocharged airplanes the reduced maximum available power on the “good” engine means the airplane is not as quick to diverge from desired yaw, roll and pitch targets as it would be in a real-world engine failure at a lower, more powerful altitude.
We have no choice but to present engine failures extremely conservatively. It’s safer, but it’s also much less realistic.
I’m a big proponent of simulation at least annually to give multi-engine pilots more accurate engine-failure scenarios. But f light training devices and true simulators have a “realism gap” as well. Simply put, the first time you have an engine failure right after takeoff is the first time you will have seen and felt what it’s like. That said, we need to continue to focus on this deadliest multi-engine scenario as often as we get to training.
The remainder of the Top Five fatal scenarios can be grouped into three areas:
• Basic aircraft control – visual (avoiding loss of control during/immediately after takeoff and stall during approach/ traffic pattern).
• Basicaircraftcontrol–instrument(avoidinglossofcontrol/ controlled flight into terrain: IFR in IMC)
• Flightplanninganddecision-making(avoidingattempted visual flight in IMC and fuel mismanagement)
Direct Comparison
Many readers know that I spend most of my time in the piston Beechcraft world. As part of that focus, I publish what I call the Beech Weekly Accident Update, a compendium of known accidents in Beech piston airplanes. It’s free at www.mastery-flight-training.com if you’re interested. Looking back through five years of my reports (2012-2016) we can take a look at the comparative data on two groups of airplanes that are almost identical in systemic design, numbers in the fleet and typical use, and which differ only by the number of engines: the Model 33 and 36 (“straight tail”) Bonanzas, and Beechcraft Barons. I do not intend to address the “single versus twin” argument here. What I’m looking for, instead, is whether the mishap record supports treating twin-engine recurrent pilot training substantially differently from that of single-engine pilots.
Note these are all reported mishaps, not just fatal crashes. In many cases the information is preliminary or does not meet
June 2017
PHOTO: TED DuPUIS
The most critical event is an engine failure immediately after takeoff. As accident data reveals, pilots and instructors need to be focusing more on engine-failure scenarios in recurrent multi-engine training.
NTSB reporting threshold and will not be investigated beyond the initial report. But given that those assumptions are the same for both single- and twin-engine airplanes, listed in order of frequency among Barons, we can see some trends.
Cause/Scenario
Bonanza
Baron
Gear collapse on runway
29
45
Gear-up landing
51
19
Loss of directional control on runway
13
17
Landed long/runway overrun
6
11
Collision during taxi
10
7
Landing gear mechanical failure
4
5
Engine failure in cruise flight
46
8
Fuel exhaustion
9
3
Hard landing
0
3
Attempted visual flight in IMC
2
3
Loss of control/stall during go-around
1
3
Damage due to thunderstorm/ turbulence encounter
1
2
Engine failure immediately after takeoff
12
1
Fuel starvation
7
1
Loss of control in icing conditions
1
1
Baggage compartment fire in flight
0
1
Engine fire after landing
0
1
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