I also go over my take-off emergency procedures (checklist item) before I roll.

Above from Don Morris

 

<<<

When asked by a squadron mate, "When did you decide you had to eject?" the
reply was, "A few years ago".

The moral of the story is that situations like this happen in the blink of
an eye and absent suffiecient airspeed and altitude, you really need to have
thought out your plan of attack before you ever start your takeoff roll.  I
like Mike Easley's idea of establishing a no turning back altitude at any
given airfield.  But as Hamid said, the decision to turn or take a path
which will likely sacrifice your airplane is one that needs to be thought
out before you even get into the plane.  An engine failure immediately after
liftoff in any single engine airplane simply doesn't afford pilots the
luxury of time to consider what to do.

Having a plan before you take off and then sticking to it will inevitably
increase the odds of survival.

>>>

 

I started to write several e-mails today, but was interrupted all through the day.  Some of it included points covered by others better than I could have done.  If there is any positive out of an accident it is the thoughtful ideas as seen here on the LML over the last few days.  Maybe it's time to think of the parameters relative to your airplane.

 

First though, the carrier pilot was definitely right - the decision was made years before.  Sometimes, it is better to work one's way thru moral, legal, financial and pain related issues before they could interfere with problem solving during an emergency.  I will give another example.

 

Some years ago there were knife and hammer wielding purse snatchers operating on foot along a Chicago expressway during the stop and go summer rush hours.  One might stand in front of a stopped car while another bashed thru a window or reached in an open one to grab the purse.  We spent the good part of an hour discussing the moral/legal issues of running over someone that presented a bodily threat to us.  In the end, the decision was made.  Keep the doors locked, drive in the lane adjacent to the shoulder and run over the threat.  Why work through this?  So that a predetermined action could be timely taken without considering other issues that take valuable time. 

 

Bad approach to landing - Go around.

Aircraft backup item not working, land and get it fixed.

Etc.

 

Remember that these pre-made decisions are acted on first and only modified if time or other conditions permit.

 

What are the parameters of the pre-takeoff emergency briefing?  It is different even for each runway at your home airport.

 

Engine gone bad on the takeoff roll - abort if sufficient distance remains.

 

Engine gone bad in climb, prop still turning - Pitch for best glide.  Attempt restart?  Switch tanks (if meaningful)? Boost pump on if injected engine?  Pull the prop to coarse pitch if possible?

 

What is the plan if the failure occurs before the wheels are up? Wheels up or leave them down (or are they fixed down)?

 

How about if the flaps are still extended? If the wing has a reflex flap position, should they be left in take off position?

 

Above the critical altitude with wheels up (if possible) and flaps retracted -  (What is the critical altitude given the takeoff environment?)

 

Pitch for best glide.  Turn back? Other suitable landing site? Etc.

 

See how this raises other questions. 

 

How does the plane glide when dirty (wheels and flaps down)?

 

Am I taking off from Bill Harrelson's airport?  Hilly treed countryside, narrow short runway in a slit in the trees with wires at one end (displaced threshold).  If so, I need to be at a higher altitude before turning back.  How about an airport with crossing runways?  A lower critical altitude might work since less turning is required.

 

One climb angle might result in only 1500 ft/min while a steeper angle yield 2500 ft/min - an engine out exposure difference of maybe 40 seconds for one or 25 seconds for the other.

 

Well, I have decided to steepen my climb out somewhat for the first 1000 feet anyway - I'll try to keep it at the best L/D indication on the AOA.

 

Ahhhh, another interruption........