How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight schools?

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parmandjack

New Member
Hi all,

I'm getting ready to start back into my flight training after 9 years. I stopped my training during my PPL attempts back then due to nerves after an engine failure on my 2nd solo.

I'm over that now, and chompin to get started...but... in the back of my head, I keep hearing a little voice that keeps saying... "what if it happens again?"...

I'm not worried about it at this point, but it got me to wondering just how frequent real life/death emergences were in flight training, and on to professional career pilot roles?

How many of you have experienced them either during your flight training or now in your professional roles?

Cheers.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

I started flying in 1976. I just counted off the top of my head first person acquaintances who have been killed flying.

The number is 29.

I'm sure loggers, crab fisherman, guys on active duty over in the sandbox will have bigger numbers.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

seaav8tor said:
I started flying in 1976. I just counted off the top of my head first person acquaintances who have been killed flying.

The number is 29.

I'm sure loggers, crab fisherman, guys on active duty over in the sandbox will have bigger numbers.
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And you wonder why you're not on the Taylor family Xmas card list!

Parm, I think the most important thing to remember is that flying is safer than it would otherwise be because we try to learn from other's mistakes. The ones that learn from it last a lot longer than those that dismiss it with the "Welp, it can't happen to me" attitude.

I've lost a lot of comrades as well, probably 15? But I only started flying in 1987.

If you learn from people's mistakes, you'll be fine. If you don't, well, good luck! ;)
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

Hey parmandjack,I have had a few malfunctions over a long career. It is a good thing to have a little apprehension,Note,a little.Dont let it consume you.Always keep in the back of your mind,what will i do if this happens,or that happens.That is good mental preparedness. Always have a plan.Not much you can do about the engine failures other than the normal "check the oil,look it over good etc. A new engine will quit you just like an old engine will.If it happens,FLY THE AIRPLANE,keep your speed ,find a place and land.DONT FREAK OUT.The plane will fly without the engine running.,You just goota do a little arrival planning:)Check out the flight school planes,ask questions,ie"have yall ever had any engine failures etc? Do your homework and you will be fine.An old guy used to take a Taylorcraft up to about 5000 feet and kill the engine and do an aerobatic routine all the way down.Then he would land and taxi up to the crowd line.Very cool to watch.Bob Hoover used to do it in a Twin Commander.Wow. Hang in there and you will be fine. Good luck, FLY SAFE T.C.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

parmandjack said:
Hi all,

I'm getting ready to start back into my flight training after 9 years. I stopped my training during my PPL attempts back then due to nerves after an engine failure on my 2nd solo.

I'm over that now, and chompin to get started...but... in the back of my head, I keep hearing a little voice that keeps saying... "what if it happens again?"...

I'm not worried about it at this point, but it got me to wondering just how frequent real life/death emergences were in flight training, and on to professional career pilot roles?

How many of you have experienced them either during your flight training or now in your professional roles?

Cheers.
Click to expand...

The way I see it, you have a slight advantage over some others now, you actually know what happens when *it* happens.

I am a mechanic for a living and it gets to bothering me sometimes because I really only ever see some airplanes when they are sick. I joke with people and say "if you knew what holds them together you wouldn't go near them."

And yet, I still do ;)... I would say worry, but don't let it turn into fear.

My number is 3, but I've only been in it for 5 or 6 years.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

Oh yea,forgot to add, Dont forget to put gas in the plane.;) :bandit: FLY SAFE T.C.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

why do single engine piston airplanes have more sudden failures then car engines if they run at a lower RPM? I use to bust my honda civic all the way to 8000 RPM when I was racing with my buds and I was all fine. Most SE Airplanes only run like max 3000RPM? So whats going on? lol
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

jspeed87 said:
why do single engine piston airplanes have more sudden failures then car engines if they run at a lower RPM? I use to bust my honda civic all the way to 8000 RPM when I was racing with my buds and I was all fine. Most SE Airplanes only run like max 3000RPM? So whats going on? lol
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RPM isn't everything. That being said, where do you get your information that aircraft engines have more sudden failures than car engines?
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

I think it seems more common because it is tracked/reported. Count all of the cars you see on the side of the freeway for week, then see if you still think airplanes have more issues.

In the 3yrs I've been flying I have lost 3 friends in 2 crashes. Unfortunately investigators are usually correct when they site Pilot Error as the cause...
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

jspeed87 said:
why do single engine piston airplanes have more sudden failures then car engines if they run at a lower RPM? I use to bust my honda civic all the way to 8000 RPM when I was racing with my buds and I was all fine. Most SE Airplanes only run like max 3000RPM? So whats going on? lol
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because your car was setup for high RPMs

the engine of a 152 is about 4 times the size of your honda :)

run your Honda at 8,000 rpms for 10 hours under load and let me know what happens :)

most single engines don't even near 3,000 btw. around 2700 at most

your honda does 8,000 RPMs, and a s2000 can do like what 10,000?

a diesel engine does like 4500-5000, and a z06 vette can do like 7,000 RPMs

it all varies with the design in mind

there are rotax engines on ultralights that do like 15K RPMs
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

The probability of experiencing a second engine failure is highly unlikey.......
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

We have never had an engine failure at our school in the year and a half we have been flying. This is with 3 airplanes (4 in the summer)
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

I had 2 (and a half) in my first 900 hours of training and instruction. In my next 2000 hours (all in a jet) I've had one shut down in flight, but that was due to an associated system causing problems.

The two actual failures I had were both in twins (the "half" was in a single and involved the engine getting shut down and not restarting... a DE did it despite my reservations about him doing so). Do I expect to see another one? Certainly. But that's why we train so hard for events like that. So that when they do happen it is a non event.

I think that's great that you have decided to get back in the plane after what happened to you during a solo. And that voice that's always in the back of your mind? It's not an entirely bad thing. It is going to force you to be even more prepared to deal with an emergency then somebody who is always thinking "oh, that can't happen to me".
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

BobDDuck said:
I had 2 (and a half) in my first 900 hours of training and instruction. In my next 2000 hours (all in a jet) I've had one shut down in flight, but that was due to an associated system causing problems.

The two actual failures I had were both in twins (the "half" was in a single and involved the engine getting shut down and not restarting... a DE did it despite my reservations about him doing so). Do I expect to see another one? Certainly. But that's why we train so hard for events like that. So that when they do happen it is a non event.

I think that's great that you have decided to get back in the plane after what happened to you during a solo. And that voice that's always in the back of your mind? It's not an entirely bad thing. It is going to force you to be even more prepared to deal with an emergency then somebody who is always thinking "oh, that can't happen to me".
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:yeahthat: Great post, FLY SAFE T.C.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

taseal said:
because your car was setup for high RPMs

the engine of a 152 is about 4 times the size of your honda :)

run your Honda at 8,000 rpms for 10 hours under load and let me know what happens :)

most single engines don't even near 3,000 btw. around 2700 at most

your honda does 8,000 RPMs, and a s2000 can do like what 10,000?

a diesel engine does like 4500-5000, and a z06 vette can do like 7,000 RPMs

it all varies with the design in mind

there are rotax engines on ultralights that do like 15K RPMs
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Exactly. Piston engines only produce about 2700 RPM max but you also have to realize they run for well over 1,000 hours, before a TBO is even recommended, at usually max power more often than not. Go out to your car, and every time you drive it, drive around with the gas full to the floor and come back and let us know how long your car lasts.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

I have had various jobs at an FBO/Flight school since October 2002, and have only seen two engine failures. One was a legit failure, and the other was pilot error.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

Parmandjack,
You can search all accidents and incidents here http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp, but don´t talk yourself out of the career change because of safety worries.
What does not kill us makes us stronger.
You obviously have what it takes, you have dealt with a student´s worst nightmare, engine failure, and overcame.

This is your last shot to make the change, do it! Don´t lose sight of your goals.
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

mojo6911 said:
I have had various jobs at an FBO/Flight school since October 2002, and have only seen two engine failures. One was a legit failure, and the other was pilot error.
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Now Morgan, you know that leaving the oil cap off isn't considered pilot error! :D

Gotta watch those Indians. ;)
 
Re: How Common Are Inflight engine failures at Flight school

Well As Long as you have altitude you can land anywhere. But an engine failure right after take-off is bad news. I recommend you watch The Impossible turn(look for it on youtube.) A return to the airport from 1000Ft is impossible you will fall well short of the runway. However I have been playing around with the simulator, and I have been successful at 800ft making it back to the runway. Just maintain that glide speed and keep your banks less the 45. If your past 1000Ft your only option is to land straight ahead.
 
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