Check: Size, Surroundings, Surface, Slope, and Wind.>
And Powerlines!...
I was advised to find a field with some sheep as the grass will be short.
Sheep are also softer than a wall and make good shock absorbers :)
I've got a GPL and I can positively you that whatever is developed in the glider world with regards to field selection, will not be usable in case of an engine failure in a SEP.
Gliders have fantastic glide ratios and therefore very little sink. They also have strict rules about the steps you take in field selection: If you sink below 2000 feet you're not going to fly on towards a 'bad' environment, but you're going to stay over 'good' fields, still proceeding in the direction you're heading, while looking for lift. Descend below 1500 feet you're going to do a field selection, but are still going to look for lift within gliding distance of that field. Below about 1000 feet you make the landing decision and are committed to flying the circuit for that field. That's a sequence of events that takes maybe five minutes, maybe more. So they've got plenty time to evaluate colors, shapes and whatnot to pick an optimum field. Heck, one of the factors to consider is whether the field is easily accessible by road, and whether there's a farmhouse (or pub!) nearby where you can wait for the retrieval team.
In a SEP, particularly at low level, you don't have that time and luxury. Any field that's reasonably flat, doesn't have significant obstructions and is long enough is good enough.
If you don't pick a half-decent field quickly enough, the field will pick you.
And what do folks think of this strategy for dealing with an EFATO? (said with raised eyebrows)
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Brilliant work.
Gets the nose down quick, and does a decisive high bank angle turn, into wind too.
But he does have a big runway to play on.
As has already been said at the lower heights, say below 2000' AGL your choice of field is very limited and you have little time to select your field. It is surprising how much height is eaten up as you do your checks, brief your passengers and position yourself unless you are very lucky and the wind direction favours you.
Also compared to a glider you lack the airbrakes as well as the glide angle to give you a generous selection of fields to go for. So you aim to be a bit on the high side and adjust your height using "S" turns or sideslip, when certain of getting in, as is most appropriate for your aircraft. As Backpacker says the field will pick you if you are low or faff about.
So you pick to best available to you in terms of lack of obstructions, crops and slope with the best into wind size you can find. Try not to approach over a road, so many have power or phone lines that are hard to spot concealed in the hedges, and surfaces may not always be as they seem.
I remember helping recover an aircraft from a field in the fens to find this nice flat harrowed and dry surface was not all it appeared, the soil was as powdery as talcum and my shoes disappeared below the surface as I walked. Luckily the aircraft was a taildragger with a very experienced pilot on board, who despite his surprise managed to keep it the right way up, it was a very short landing indeed. The number of times I had flown that way always feeling that these fields were a gift to aviators with a problem, it made me aware that even the apparent simple ones can have a sting in the tail
What a great site - Field Crops -
Don't want to start a discussion, but for all the people who HAVE a ME rating - like me - the danger zone is only the first 2/300ft let's say the first 10 to 20 seconds. From there on, I can cage the bad engine and continue to fly, turn around slowly and land on 1 engine. It's not even an emergency but just a procedure.
All Multi Engine pilots know this. It's mostly the Single Engine drivers without a ME rating that bitch about how unsafe ME planes are.
Stay current and fly safe.
What a ridiculous post.
Have you lost an engine? The general consensus appears to be that it is a pretty big deal, even us 'single engine drivers without an ME rating' are aware of that.
Not an emergency? Airliners call Mayday if they lose an engine. I doubt your single-engine climb performance is anywhere near as good as the average airliner.
Most GA piston twins have very marginal single-engine climb performance at the best of times, and given the right (or wrong) combination of conditions and configuration many will not even be able to maintain height on one engine.
Like Jason C said the instant the engine fails the insurance company just bought the airplane. What it looks like after it comes to a stop is utterly irrelevant, the only thing that matters is the safety of the passengers.
To maximize the possibility of a successful outcome the aircraft should contact the ground under control and as close as possible in a wings level, level to moderate nose up attitude and have the space to deaccelerate. The ground run does not have to be long as a 60 kt to 0 kt 9 Gee deacceleration will only take 25 feet. The killer accidents are hitting an immovable object at flying speed, and/ or well above the ground, and/ or hitting in a steeply banked or very nose down attitude.
As for field selection I teach
Close.
Clear ( that is a clear approach with no obstacles).
Flat.
All the rest of the silliness that flight schools teach about the " best" surfaces to land on is IMO utter bollocks and detracts from what is important, which is keeping the airplane under control.
Incidently the accident record shows that approximately 80% of all engine failures are directly caused by the actions or inactions of the pilot. The best way to deal with an engine failure is to ensure you don't cause it to fail in the first place......
the instant the engine fails the insurance company just bought the airplane
I say this partly tongue in cheek but American insurance companies must be run by very nice people because the European ones certainly don't buy your plane when the engine fails.
The insurer will pay for the damage to the plane, or maybe a writeoff if the repair costs too much.
But if you insured it for an "agreed value" which exceeds the market value (a reasonable strategy for a relatively rare type where if you wanted to replace it you may have to way way over the normal price - example e.g. a TB21GT - or where you did big avionics upgrades which are rarely reflected in the MV) they will probably do a repair no matter how long it takes.
On engine shock load etc work, they will pay only the pro-rated cost of it so if the engine is half way to 2000hrs, they will pay only the part of the work.
So trying to make a reasonable landing which doesn't totally wreck the plane is a good idea, IMHO.
My POH (TB20GT) says one should always land gear up, off-airport. I can see why they recommend that but don't agree with it. If I was a renter, I would feel differently (wreck it and walk away, is just fine).
