Engine out at 400ft! - Decide where to land

Your decision would be

  • A) Right 90 deg - Land on road

    Votes: 9 11.3%

  • B) Right < 90 deg - Land in field

    Votes: 56 70.0%

  • C) Left 90 deg - Ditch in water

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • D) Straight to left 90 deg - Land in yards or road

    Votes: 10 12.5%

  • E) Impossible turn

    Votes: 3 3.8%

  • F) Other

    Votes: 2 2.5%
  • Total voters
    80
I would ditch it in the configuration shown in the emergency checklist.

Nobody ever dies in a proper ditching. Maybe later, but there looks to be lots of suitable shoreline in the picture.
 
Ron Levy said:
In a motorglider, yes, in one of those LSA kites, maybe, but not in a "real" airplane. Anyone who says they can, let them take you up 2000 feet above something that simulates a runway, slow to Vy, climb 400 feet at Vy, cut the engine, and then try to get turned around and realigned with the "runway" before they get back down to 2000 AGL. You'll see why I suggest trying it at 2000 AGL.
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My taildragger does qualify as a Light Sport and I've made the turnaround (at altitude) several times in 200 ft or less but IIRC when I tried it a few times in the Bonanza I used to own, 600 was barely enough and that's without the extra excitement of the ground rushing up at you or any time lost to WTF? paralysis. In the Porterfield if I'm solo I found I can just roll into a steep bank while pulling the stick into my lap and then easing off on the elevator as I roll out. With a passenger in back I have to feel for the buffet and can't use full aft stick but when solo there's not enough elevator to stall in a steep turn. At around 50° of bank the turn radius feels like about one or two wingspans.
 
kgruber said:
I would ditch it in the configuration shown in the emergency checklist.

Nobody ever dies in a proper ditching. Maybe later, but there looks to be lots of suitable shoreline in the picture.
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When you have time to set up a proper approach and there's plenty of room, the odds of surviving a ditching aren't bad but putting an airplane into that little canal looks like about a 50/50 chance to me. More likely than not you'd probably either force it into the water nose first (not good odds for survival on that) or skip and smack into the far shore. Either one would probably result in knocking you out and if that happens when your head is under water you're dead.
 
jesse said:
Too many variables. A lot of this depends on wind, weight, temperature, etc, etc. Don't turn back. You'd be way better off taking the water then you would be attempting to turn back.
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Well I dont imagine he'd be calculating the temp etc, etc, while his engine has died. I was always told water is the last possible resort you'd want to land in, if the plane flips (likely in a FG plane) there is a high probability of unconsciousness and drowning, or conscious and drowning. By landing in water you immediately put yourself in an area where you have to survive. On land fire may be an issue but other than that you can sit in the plane as long as necessary.
 
I'm re-considering. I thinking maybe straight out and ditch. Area B is rougher than it looks. If you look closely at the attached image, there appears to have a small crater. I know there are big rocks in the area and rough ground. Thinking that at takeoff, I'll likely have a significant amount of fuel, so it is a higher risk of fire at B, or risk drowning or hypothermia by ditching. Other prospects would be straight across on the road if there is enough altitude to get across, or right turn to the road.
 

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dmccormack said:
So "real" airplane = something that weighs too much and costs too much?
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No, in a real airplane the problem has a different resolution, you cage the bad engine and come back around and put it on the runway the correct way.;):lol:
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Well I dont imagine he'd be calculating the temp etc, etc, while his engine has died. I was always told water is the last possible resort you'd want to land in, if the plane flips (likely in a FG plane) there is a high probability of unconsciousness and drowning, or conscious and drowning. By landing in water you immediately put yourself in an area where you have to survive. On land fire may be an issue but other than that you can sit in the plane as long as necessary.
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Water is extremely survivable. The problem is people go into water 50 miles from shore, that isn't nearly as survivable. I'd much rather put an airplane into a small river then I would a tree or building. I'd probably walk away from that river 9 out of 10 times.

My point about the temperature, weight, wind variables, is that whether you like it or not those will play a strong factor into picking the ideal location.
 
jesse said:
I'd much rather put an airplane into a small river then I would a tree or building. I'd probably walk away from that river 9 out of 10 times.
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For arguments sake could you define small river? I'd agree with you as long as that river could not fill the cockpit in the event of a flip.
 
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Mtns2Skies said:
For arguments sake could you define small river? I'd agree with you as long as that river could not fill the cockpit in the even of a flip.
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Straight out from the runway and near that rock in the middle, it is at least 80 ft deep in spots..
 
oldShar said:
If I bore right, I'd have to land within the Sheriff's Dept. Shooting Range.
If I bore left, I'd have to land in the new assembly building for the Eclipse 500.
Better to head straight on and mow down some cactus.
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And miss an opportunity to return fire? ;)
 
Mtns2Skies said:
For arguments sake could you define small river? I'd agree with you as long as that river could not fill the cockpit in the event of a flip.
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Depth isn't an issue. A smooth controlled landing in water will have you surviving 9 out of 10 times provided you're not so far from land you can't make it.

See:
http://www.equipped.com/ditchingmyths.htm
 
That dude's house sticking out on the bend in the river looks like it has an interesting view of the airport.

And would be underwater if the river rose. ;)
 
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