IR training: flying ILS with engine failure (ME A/C)

6 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   John D. Collins on Jan 10, 2012

   A single engine approach in a light twin can be challenging. Speed control is very important and you should maintain at least the blue line speed for your aircraft.  It helps to use as little flaps as possible or none at all if the aircraft permits it.  Flaps can add significant drag and aren’t normally applied until you have the runway made.  I personally would not attempt a go around from below 500 feet AGL on a single engine as the outcome is problematic. You should have the engine secured and trimmed before you start the approach.  You will have to have a higher power setting on the good engine than for a normal approach, and you will need to adjust the zero side slip bank angle to account for the power.  Ideally, lowering the landing gear and the pitch at the GS intercept point will provide sufficient drag to descend without a power change or at least a major power change when you start down.  Once you have the runway made, you can commit to the landing by lowering the flaps.  Expect to use more runway than normal because the drag that is normally there from the bad engine propellor will be missing.

    

   So in real life, I would choose an airport with an ILS and ideally one with at least a 500 foot ceiling, even if I had to fly an extra distance to find one.  The ILS runway should normally be long enough to account for any longer roll out, but longer is better.

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   Wes Beard on Jan 10, 2012

   There really isn’t anything more to think about than what you normally think about during single engine operations and shooting an ILS.  It is merely an exercise in putting the two skills together that one day may just save your life.
    
   Remember as you pull back the power on the single engine the airplane is going to yaw.  Be prepared to correct and take out some rudder as necessary to stay coordinated.
    
   The other thing to think about is having to go missed if the airport environment is not in sight at minimums.  Flying a low powered aircraft, the chances of having a decent climb rate on a single engine is not probable.  If this were to happen to me in real life I would divert to the alternate where I am almost guaranteed to break out and see the runway.  If I were forced to shoot the approach to minimums… my options just got really small. 

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   Bill Trussell on Jan 11, 2012

   Practicing the execution of this “maneuver” is really not all that difficult.  Setting it up can be a busy time depending upon where the failure occurs.  I would recommend that the approach not be started until the failed engine is secured.  The only thing you should be worrying about is the approach, not running an engine out emergency checklist inside the IAF.  Done properly, the execution of the approach is often easier on one engine (hard to believe I know but it is true) because you are not required to hold full power on the approach, so compensation for the failed engine is easier than some of the other things you have done thus far in your training.  Do not forget that this is an emergency situation were it to occur in real life.  You should advise ATC of your situation and declare an emergency.  For training purposes you should simulate this communications but I would still let ATC know you are doing the approach with a simulated engine out.  When you get to the DA/DH and something is not quite right they will know to assist you wtih the missed approach.
   I echo the opinions of the others on the go around performance.  I would ask your instructor what the simulated weather situation is.  Say you have 1 mile visibility given to you.  I would start to ask about “runway in sight” when you are 1 mile out.  Chances are you will have to do it to minimums but it never hurts to show you are “heads up” about the weather you are given, and you are willing to show that picking an airport a minimums is not necessarily the best idea under these conditions.
   Have fun with this scenario.  You will do fine!

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   Derek Schwalenberg on Jan 11, 2012

   I’m not actually an MEI yet but I did have to fly a single-engine approach with a gyro-failure on my CMEL checkride and I was under the hood too.. It wasn’t as hard it sounds because since the airplane is fairly throttled back on the approach so the compensation for adverse yaw is much less and your basically pitching for airspeed [vYSE] anyway so who needs an AI. Other than that bank [TC/DG] and throttle to stay on the ILS. A ton of stuff happening but all things I already practiced for. And I did stay in a holiday-inn express last night.

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   Derek Schwalenberg on Jan 11, 2012

   Oops haha I said DG – NO DG. I don’t know how to edit yet. Or proofread aparently.

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   Nathan Parker on Jan 19, 2012

   “I did have to fly a single-engine approach with a gyro-failure on my CMEL checkride”
    
   I’d say this was a deviation from the PTS on the part of the examiner.

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