Dead Stick Landing, RV-12

Geico266

Geico266

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jun 15, 2008
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Husker Nation, NE
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Geico
I would like present a video I made in my RV-12 to show the glide characteristics in an actual engine out situation.

I started out at 6,300' MSL about 5 miles SW of my 1,500'MSL airport. Winds were 120 degrees @ 15 gusts to 23 mph, Runway 17. I weight about 210 and 11 gallons of fuel, no baggage, no passenger.

Moderate traffic dictated that I maintained a "normal" pattern rather than a straight in approach for 35 without declairing an actual emergency. Touch down point was the middle of the runway and I came in short around the numbers after slipping hard with full flaps.

My hope in presenting this video is that others may see how much time you have before touch down to look for an airport, road, open field, ect. IMHO it is panic and inattention to airspeed that is your enemy, not the loss of the engine. If you need to panic do it in a bar with a stiff drink a couple hours after landing. Obviously, it depends on what you fly, but your buying decision should include all aspects of safe flight.
wink.gif


A -12 has a glide ratio of about 13-1 which gives good glide range, and the low stall speed gives good survivability.

Enjoy! About 8 minutes long.

http://youtu.be/_xZmsxEewik
 
We dont have to agree about the decision to shut down a perfectly good engine for a demonstration in open airspace, but that was a pretty good demonstration. So i liked it.
 
ntbjounin said:
We dont have to agree about the decision to shut down a perfectly good engine for a demonstration in open airspace, but that was a pretty good demonstration. So i liked it.
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I hear ya. I thought long and hard before posting it. Just trying to show pilots & students you won't die if the engine quits. Hopefully, pilots and students will see this and understand the principle lesson here. :dunno:

When all else fails, fly the airplane. :D
 
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Geico266 said:
I hear ya. I thought long and hard before posting it. Just trying to show pilots & students you won't die if the engine quits. Hopefully, pilots and students will see this and understand the principle lesson here. :dunno:

When all else fails, fly the airplane. :D
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Yeah, but you're going to shock cool the engine. :D
 
That was a long way to come to not land on the centerline. :D

Good vid though!
 
Probably could do that in the FlyBaby if I started at FL240.
 
The engine coming back on completely took my by surprise. My thought process went something like "wait...isn't the engine dead? Ohhhh riiiiiight....."
 
Great video! I don't know about anyone else, but I was watching the pattern like a hawk to make sure no one was underneath him... Virtual safety pilot? hehe

Plus you landed just before the tiny gaggle of geese were about to get in the way. :)
 
Archammer said:
Great video! I don't know about anyone else, but I was watching the pattern like a hawk to make sure no one was underneath him... Virtual safety pilot? hehe

Plus you landed just before the tiny gaggle of geese were about to get in the way. :)
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There are a lot of migratory birds around this time of the year. We coexist. ;)




Thanks for all your kind words about the video. More to come.
 
Wow......... There is a human being flying that RV-12..... I was expecting to see a little green lizzard at the controls..;):D..

Good job on the video... I agree with Jesse though.... In my Zenith 801, I (might) have made the runway if I started the no engine trick at FL430..
 
Thank you for posting. It really helps us low time guys when we can see how it should be done.
 
Jhernandez04 said:
Thank you for posting. It really helps us low time guys when we can see how it should be done.
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Exactly why I posted the video. Don't panic until you are in the bar with a beer in your hand, then panic all you want. ;)

I was amazed also at the time I had watching the video. It got boring watching it! ... Not so much when you are doing it. :eek:

Too many pilots die trying to do manuvers they have never done before when the engine quits. Fly the airplane, to the ground, watch your airspeed.

GLad you liked the video. :D
 
because 200 mph sounds more impressive than 174 knots
 
In before Ron reports you for being careless and reckless.
 
That was interesting to watch and i bet it was way more fun to actually do ;)

Where were the sirens and the fire trucks? ;) and the Red Board Gestapo? (I think they can get you even on The Ba-lue Board).

Do you remember the indicated vertical speed during whatever time you were at best glode speed? Thirteen-to-one glide ratio is impressive!

I really liked the smooth input on the flight controlls al all phases of engine-out flight.

Thanks for posting it!
 
Geico266 said:
I know. :redface:

I haven't done it with the -10. :no:
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I was doing a falling leaf and instead of the carb heat grabbed the mixture...
:mad2:

Could see the prop blades as they went past but it never stopped turning.


The funny part was at the end of the maneuver I throttled up and just stared at the CFI like a dummy when nothing happened. I even asked him I he had pulled the mixture:redface:
 
Geico266 said:
My hope in presenting this video is that others may see how much time you have before touch down to look for an airport, road, open field, ect. IMHO it is panic and inattention to airspeed that is your enemy, not the loss of the engine. If you need to panic do it in a bar with a stiff drink a couple hours after landing. Obviously, it depends on what you fly, but your buying decision should include all aspects of safe flight.
wink.gif
Click to expand...

I didn't see any oil covering the window, obscuring your visibility.

I didn't see any teeth-rattling vibration as part of a blade comes off the prop, or engine tries to eat itself after a mechanical failure.

I didn't see any demo of real emotional reaction in which the stoppage was unexpected, rather than well planned in advance.

I didn't see how this relates to real engine stoppage where there is no option to turn back on the engine.

I didn't see any way this relates to engine stoppage shortly after takeoff, at or below pattern altitude.

I didn't see how this provides anything of educational value beyond that which a CFI is already required to teach pre-solo and tested during their check ride: "61.87(d)(13) Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine malfunctions."

I didn't see how your video differs from this RV-12 engine off video, taken almost exactly 2 years prior to yours and even involves an immediate takeoff after landing:

 
Jim Logajan said:
I didn't see any oil covering the window, obscuring your visibility.

I didn't see any teeth-rattling vibration as part of a blade comes off the prop, or engine tries to eat itself after a mechanical failure.

I didn't see any demo of real emotional reaction in which the stoppage was unexpected, rather than well planned in advance.

I didn't see how this relates to real engine stoppage where there is no option to turn back on the engine.

I didn't see any way this relates to engine stoppage shortly after takeoff, at or below pattern altitude.

I didn't see how this provides anything of educational value beyond that which a CFI is already required to teach pre-solo and tested during their check ride: "61.87(d)(13) Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine malfunctions."

I didn't see how your video differs from this RV-12 engine off video, taken almost exactly 2 years prior to yours and even involves an immediate takeoff after landing:
Click to expand...


That was an awful landing

Maybe next time we'll have Geico go up with a camera, and we'll plant a small explosive device in his cowl, that will explode when he least expects it. Then we can satisfy your little list.
 
Jim Logajan said:
I didn't see any oil covering the window, obscuring your visibility.

I didn't see any teeth-rattling vibration as part of a blade comes off the prop, or engine tries to eat itself after a mechanical failure.

I didn't see any demo of real emotional reaction in which the stoppage was unexpected, rather than well planned in advance.

I didn't see how this relates to real engine stoppage where there is no option to turn back on the engine.

I didn't see any way this relates to engine stoppage shortly after takeoff, at or below pattern altitude.

I didn't see how this provides anything of educational value beyond that which a CFI is already required to teach pre-solo and tested during their check ride: "61.87(d)(13) Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine malfunctions."

I didn't see how your video differs from this RV-12 engine off video, taken almost exactly 2 years prior to yours and even involves an immediate takeoff after landing:
Click to expand...

Are you actually a pilot or have you just watched too many movies? Puh-lease.
 
RoscoeT said:
Are you actually a pilot or have you just watched too many movies? Puh-lease.
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Would not matter what I say, so look my name up in the FAA database. You have done engine out, right? You had this done to you two or three times at least, when you didn't expect it, right? What did this video teach you that you were supposed to have learned prior even to solo?

I'm all for education. The OP did something that he found educational - good for him. I normally see no reason to repeat myself, since my points should make clear what I'm getting at, but I'll repeat myself anyway for clarity: the video really doesn't address the issue of panic at all because it completely bypasses the cause. Planned engine out doesn't cause panic and if a pilot in anything but a balloon doesn't learn something about gliding then that is a case of failed education, not failure to control composure.

I submit that if the OP did a demo of planned engine out shortly after takeoff at, say, pattern altitude or even a little above then he'd have a bit of anxiety about the demo and sweat a little on his first attempt. Anxiety is not panic, but it closes in on a mental state that may start to negatively affect ones piloting.
 
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