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ctab5060X · April 9th, 2008, 17:14

First off, you missed an important part of your quick emergency checklist...verify fuel...

Like MDD said, most engine failures are the result of fuel starvation, so that should be the first thing you check before securing the engine...sometimes all you do is swap tanks, open a valve, or turn on a boost pump and the engine roars back to life.

You stated that before feathering you decided to attempt a restart. Is the prop still windmilling? Or was it a sudden seizure? If it was windmilling, you are pretty much left with either fuel or fire. If you are certain you did not starve the engine of fuel and the mags are on, there is no sense in even trying to bring the engine back to life. Feather it, secure it, declare your emergency and get back on the ground. If it was a seizure or catastrophic failure, then it becomes a no brainer, feather, secure, etc...

If you are only 20 miles from your departure airport, and from your scenario, high enough to worry about drift down, you should have no problem getting back in. Declare an emergency, get back on the ground.

But my big question still is, why attempt the restart? Unless you can open up and look at the engine to verify that nothing is wrong, leave it shut down. How do you know that if you restart, the engine is not going to quit again? Once you have the engine shut down, feathered, and secured...leave it. If you don't feel that you can get back to your airport of departure, find somewhere else that is closer.

As for your question regarding the 300nm trip and being 100nm in, it all depends on the situation at the time. I currently fly a recip twin on a 330nm trip every night and our procedures for an engine failure change with the weather. Are there storms ahead, behind? If not storms, what about ceilings and visibility? Will I have to fly and approach? Do I have a bad headwind, tailwind? Are the MEAs higher or lower as we continue? How do the MEAs compare with our single engine service ceiling? All of this is stuff that should be thought of prior to your departure and not figured out once you lose an engine...no matter the length of the trip. There should be a well laid out plan of what to do when. For example...if I lose and engine prior to point A, I return to my destination ABC...engine failure past point A but prior to point B, I will divert to JKL...engine failure past point B, I continue to destination XYZ.

April 9th, 2008, 17:14	#3
ctab5060X Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Southaven, MS Posts: 506	Re: Engine failure...and restart First off, you missed an important part of your quick emergency checklist...verify fuel... Like MDD said, most engine failures are the result of fuel starvation, so that should be the first thing you check before securing the engine...sometimes all you do is swap tanks, open a valve, or turn on a boost pump and the engine roars back to life. You stated that before feathering you decided to attempt a restart. Is the prop still windmilling? Or was it a sudden seizure? If it was windmilling, you are pretty much left with either fuel or fire. If you are certain you did not starve the engine of fuel and the mags are on, there is no sense in even trying to bring the engine back to life. Feather it, secure it, declare your emergency and get back on the ground. If it was a seizure or catastrophic failure, then it becomes a no brainer, feather, secure, etc... If you are only 20 miles from your departure airport, and from your scenario, high enough to worry about drift down, you should have no problem getting back in. Declare an emergency, get back on the ground. But my big question still is, why attempt the restart? Unless you can open up and look at the engine to verify that nothing is wrong, leave it shut down. How do you know that if you restart, the engine is not going to quit again? Once you have the engine shut down, feathered, and secured...leave it. If you don't feel that you can get back to your airport of departure, find somewhere else that is closer. As for your question regarding the 300nm trip and being 100nm in, it all depends on the situation at the time. I currently fly a recip twin on a 330nm trip every night and our procedures for an engine failure change with the weather. Are there storms ahead, behind? If not storms, what about ceilings and visibility? Will I have to fly and approach? Do I have a bad headwind, tailwind? Are the MEAs higher or lower as we continue? How do the MEAs compare with our single engine service ceiling? All of this is stuff that should be thought of prior to your departure and not figured out once you lose an engine...no matter the length of the trip. There should be a well laid out plan of what to do when. For example...if I lose and engine prior to point A, I return to my destination ABC...engine failure past point A but prior to point B, I will divert to JKL...engine failure past point B, I continue to destination XYZ.