Engine Failure

Bang. “Engine Failure” says Andrew, with a hint of urgency. Procedures instantly kick in; trim for best glide speed, carburettor heat on, start looking for a field. We are downwind (parallel) to Torraddin’s runway 22 at this point, and I have 2000ft to play with. Time to try and get this engine going again. “Carby heat on, Fuel on and quantity checked, Mixture rich and Magnetos both”. I keep glancing outside my window, eyes glued to the runway we may be forced to put down on. “Fuel checked, Mixture Rich, Oil temperatures and pressures in green, switches both, cycle through throttle range”. Still no dice, and altitude is beginning to unwind quickly.

Time to concede defeat and prepare for a forced landing. Set the transponder to the emergency code of 7700 followed by the infamous radio call. “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, Mike Juliet Golf, engine failure, conducting a forced landing at Torraddin airport, 2 people on board, we will contact you again on the ground.” I shut all fuel lines, cut off the mixture and in case of a rough landing, we open the doors to prevent them from becoming jammed. Now for the critical stage of the landing, timing the turn onto the runway. Turn too early and we’ll be too high and overrun the runway, but too low and we won’t make it. I have to time it just right so we have just enough altitude to make the runway. I make the critical turn at about 1000ft above the ground.

Things are looking good, the runway is now ahead and it seems like we are going to make it. “Add the flaps, add the flaps” Andrew suggests, thinking that we are definitely going to make it now and need to lose some height. The cessna descends fast towards the runway, but it seems my timing was right, and soon we are right over the start of the runway. Shortly afterwards the wheels make contact right on the threshold for a perfect landing (woop woop!). Andrew is evidently pleased that the airplane is down in one piece.

I should now point out that the engine did not actually fail, we just reduced thrust to idle to simulate an engine failure and went on from there. It’s a great way to prepare for the unlikely but possible scenario of an engine failure, and I should also point out that while I nailed that forced landing, the previous attempt on a small field didn’t quite go to plan and I ended up being far too high. It takes a lot of practice to get them right consistently, and a bit of luck helps too. However, I am now very confident that should an engine ever fail (and it is a 1 in 17,000 hour event) then I will bring the aircraft down safely. Which is nice for passengers to know.

That was my last lesson for the moment with Andrew, and my next lesson is a pre-licence check with another instructor. On that same day (in about 2 weeks) I shall sit my theoretical test, and then the following lesson shall be the test to gain the licence. Estimated time until licence: 3 weeks. Wish me luck

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