One afternoon early in my career as a young flight instructor, an old-timer who used to hang out at the grass strip where I taught was telling fish stories. “I’ve had eight engine failures,” he boasted. I remember thinking the poor guy needed to start carrying more fuel.
What various calamities led to this man’s rather unfortunate problems, I don’t know. It’s safe to assume he wasn’t flying an average airplane in an average situation, because no one’s luck is that bad. Because despite all the practicing we do to respond to engine failures, the statistics show that the vast majority of pilots will fly an entire career without anything close to a total failure. Provided, that is, they remember to put gas in the airplane.
It shouldn’t be surprising that a major cause of engine failures in piston airplanes is fuel exhaustion. There are more still for fuel mismanagement, sometimes attributed simply to selecting the wrong tank or not knowing how to use the system. In 2010 there were nearly two fuel-exhaustion accidents a week on average. Although it may be the most obvious thing you hear during your training, the engine needs fuel to run. Why some 80 people a year don’t understand that is anyone’s guess.
Regardless of whether from fuel or mechanical problems, engines can and do fail. Our aircraft engines are meant to run at close to full power for extended periods. Most don’t feature electronic engine controls, and a fair amount still employ a carburetor. Our primary engine technology is decades old, so they just aren’t as reliable as modern car engines. When was the last time you heard of one of those throwing a cylinder through the hood?
When you first start training, this can be a bit disconcerting. Lucky for us, the wings aren’t connected to the engine, and instead of dropping like a rock when the engine fails, the airplane simply turns into a glider. And as any glider pilot will tell you, landing without an engine is no big deal—provided one trains for it.
That training will involve simulated engine failures with approaches to land at farm fields, airports, and anywhere else the airplane can be put down. We drill this over and over so that if the time comes and we have to do it for real, it will be second nature. We also practice to control the emotional response to such a situation.
This month we cover the mental process of an engine failure scenario in “The Zen of Engine Failure,” beginning on page 26. In it, a pilot with thousands of hours in all types of aircraft describes what really happens from his point of experience after a dozen engine failures. I would say he needs to carry more fuel, too, but since that experience includes some unusual flying scenarios, I think it’s safe to assume his rate of engine failures is atypical.
Good maintenance, a careful preflight, and the right amount of fuel ensure the odds are stacked in your favor for a flying career free of unwelcome surprises.
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