Objective:

To develop the student's accuracy, judgment, planning, technique, and confidence when little or no power is available in an emergency approach and landing.

Elements:

Causes: Any situation which warrants a forced landing i.e. engine failure, electrical failure. partial power loss, system/equipment malfunction, etc NTSB factors that may interfere with a pilot’s ability to act promptly and properly when faced with an emergency:

• Reluctance to accept emergency situation: Do not allow the emergency to paralyze your decision-making; maintain flying speed and choose a suitable landing field.
• Desire to save airpane: There may be times that the airplane will have to be sacrificed so that you and your passengers can walk away.
• Undo concern about getting hurt: Fear is a vital part of self-preservation, but it must not lead to panic. Maintain your composure at all times.

1. Maintain positive control of the aircraft.
2. Trim for best glide speed, configure the aircraft for minimum drag configuration.
3. Since power is no longer available airspeed must be controlled with pitch only.
4. Select a suitable emergency landing area. Always be on the lookout!
   • Ideal: Airport or a hard packed, long, smooth field with no high obstacles at the approach end.
   • Cultivated fields are acceptable if the landing is made parallel to the furrows.
   • Roads should be used only as a last resort, there are usually power or phone lines which you may not be aware of, as well as auto traffic.
   • The selected area must be within gliding distance
5. Determine wind direction:
   • Looking at trees, smoke, dust, and nearby lakes.
   • Always try to land into the wind, this allows for a lower ground speed and a shorter ground roll.
   • Sometimes it may not be preferable to land into the wind such as: Insufficient altitude, Ground obstacles, Distance from field, or the field may be on a hill.
6. Head straight for the field.
7. Utilize any combination of normal gliding maneuvers.
8. If altitude permits determine reason for the malfunction and go through engine restart emergency checklist (if engine failure occurs).
9. If over a field and altitude must be lost, execute spirals over the field down to pattern altitude.
10. Fly the emergency approach as normal as possible since this is most familiar.
11. Techniques to use to compensate for overshooting or undershooting are:
    For overshooting:
        - Lengthen base leg, if landing area permits.
        - Widen base leg by heading slightly away from the field.
        - Extend flaps.
        - Use a forward slip on final.
    For undershooting:
        - Delay the use of flaps.
        - Shorten base leg.
        - Turn toward the field to shorten the final approach.
12. When landing is assured, execute landing without power checklist. Make sure that any items that may cause a fire are secured. i.e. ignition, fuel, master switches.
13. If altitude permits, verify emergency procedures with the checklist.
14. Declare an Emergency
    • Dial in 121.5 or appropriate ATC facility on the radio.
    • Report an emergency (“Mayday, mayday”) state your position, type of aircraft and number of people on board, problem, and intentions.
    • Squack 7700 on the transponder.

Common Errors:

1. Failure to recognize the urgency of the emergency.
2. Improper airspeed control.
3. Poor judgment in the selection of an emergency landing area.
4. Failure to estimate the approximate wind speed and direction.
5. Failure to fly the most suitable pattern for existing situation.
6. Failure to accomplish the appropriate emergency checklist.
7. Undershooting or overshooting selected emergency landing area.

References:

• FAA Private Pilot PTS
• Airplane Flying Handbook, pp 8-25, 16-1 – 16-5

Notes:

Density Altitude
Windshear
Wind direction

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