buzzin77
Well-Known Member
Here's a systems/situational question my instructor asked me. It's one of those, "what if..." that goes on forever, has no right answer, no matter what you answer, you're wrong, I'm right. The point is to think critically, although, what the instructor would do is not the same as what I would do, hypothetically.
The need-to-know systems information: the critical engine of the Aztek F (PA-23-250) runs the hydraulic pump, used to lower the landing gear.
The situation: Weather is at minimums. You lose the critical engine and feather the prop. You are going to land at some airport (whether it has a tower, runway length, etc. are not specified). You don't have time to pump the gear down (it takes 50 pumps). You have the performance to execute a go-around, but only if the gear and flaps are up.
The gazillion dollar question: Do you pump down the gear by hand, or leave the gear up to be able to go around in case you need to?
My first answer: Descend to DH/MDA with the gear and flaps up. Use the emergency CO2 to lower the gear when the runway's in sight and you know landing is assured.
Response: There is a cow on the runway.
Me: Why is there a cow on the runway? I declared an emergency and the tower cleared me to land and
said the emergency crew is standing by.
Response: It's an uncontrolled field
Me: ?. Land on the adjacent taxiway.
Response: You can't. You just popped out under the clouds and it's too far away. You just can't. There is no adjacent taxiway.
Me: Fly over the cow and land on the remaining runway.
Response: You can't. The runway is too short.
Me: Ok, forget that. I have the performance to climb on one engine, right?
Response: Ya, if the gear is up.
Me: Ok, do what we do in the seaplane, overfly the landing area and make sure it is safe to land.
Scope it out, go missed, then when you see that the cow is off the runway, do the approach again, use the CO2 to lower the gear and land.
Response:Why would you go around on one engine if you don't have to?
Me: Friggin duh, exactly, why would you? I'm not trained to do a go-around on one engine, but I am trained to land on one engine.
Response: I would land gear up. That way I could go around if I needed to.
Me: And strike the prop. Then youneed a new engine.
Response: The insurance will pay for it.
Me: Nice.
Response: You wouldn't land gear up?
Me: No. The boss would want to know why I ruined his engine for no reason. And I would say, "because there might have been a cow/plow truck/marching band" on the runway that I needed to go around for."
Response: The cow story is a true story.
Me: Oh, I believe you.
Response: One of the instructors, L-------, had to go around for a bunch of cows on a rural airport. Also, there might be golf carts, like at one other airport. That's right, golf carts cross the runway. All the time.
Me: Ok, so leave the gear up, land on the belly. Use the starter to turn the prop horizontal. Wreck the right engine.
Response: Now you get it.
Me: How about, if I can climb on one engine, then just fly to a bigger airport, with a long runway, with emergency personnel, with better weather.
Response: Uh uh uh uh. Shhhhhhhhhhhh.
Me: Let's practice some single engine go-arounds.
Response: OK!
ALRIGHTY THEN. Those last couple lines were made up, but I think you catch my drift. I only have 15 hours of multi time (Private add-on), never did a single engine go-around, did a bunch of single engine landings, and was given some study material written by a pilot that discouraged OEI go-arounds (Whitney Ballantine).
SO. What do you think? I think my instructor has a point, but he said he wouldn't even have time to reach down, open the door to the CO2, and pull the ring to activate the emergency gear extension. I say, go for it, it'll only take a second, and it might save $60,000. Unless there is a cow on the runway.
MORE SERIOUSLY. The point was to talk about the situation and understand that in a light twin, you must make decisions taking into account every aspect of the situation. There are no hard decisions that will work for everything. At least, that's what I try to get out of it.
The need-to-know systems information: the critical engine of the Aztek F (PA-23-250) runs the hydraulic pump, used to lower the landing gear.
The situation: Weather is at minimums. You lose the critical engine and feather the prop. You are going to land at some airport (whether it has a tower, runway length, etc. are not specified). You don't have time to pump the gear down (it takes 50 pumps). You have the performance to execute a go-around, but only if the gear and flaps are up.
The gazillion dollar question: Do you pump down the gear by hand, or leave the gear up to be able to go around in case you need to?
My first answer: Descend to DH/MDA with the gear and flaps up. Use the emergency CO2 to lower the gear when the runway's in sight and you know landing is assured.
Response: There is a cow on the runway.
Me: Why is there a cow on the runway? I declared an emergency and the tower cleared me to land and
said the emergency crew is standing by.
Response: It's an uncontrolled field
Me: ?. Land on the adjacent taxiway.
Response: You can't. You just popped out under the clouds and it's too far away. You just can't. There is no adjacent taxiway.
Me: Fly over the cow and land on the remaining runway.
Response: You can't. The runway is too short.
Me: Ok, forget that. I have the performance to climb on one engine, right?
Response: Ya, if the gear is up.
Me: Ok, do what we do in the seaplane, overfly the landing area and make sure it is safe to land.
Scope it out, go missed, then when you see that the cow is off the runway, do the approach again, use the CO2 to lower the gear and land.
Response:Why would you go around on one engine if you don't have to?
Me: Friggin duh, exactly, why would you? I'm not trained to do a go-around on one engine, but I am trained to land on one engine.
Response: I would land gear up. That way I could go around if I needed to.
Me: And strike the prop. Then youneed a new engine.
Response: The insurance will pay for it.
Me: Nice.
Response: You wouldn't land gear up?
Me: No. The boss would want to know why I ruined his engine for no reason. And I would say, "because there might have been a cow/plow truck/marching band" on the runway that I needed to go around for."
Response: The cow story is a true story.
Me: Oh, I believe you.
Response: One of the instructors, L-------, had to go around for a bunch of cows on a rural airport. Also, there might be golf carts, like at one other airport. That's right, golf carts cross the runway. All the time.
Me: Ok, so leave the gear up, land on the belly. Use the starter to turn the prop horizontal. Wreck the right engine.
Response: Now you get it.
Me: How about, if I can climb on one engine, then just fly to a bigger airport, with a long runway, with emergency personnel, with better weather.
Response: Uh uh uh uh. Shhhhhhhhhhhh.
Me: Let's practice some single engine go-arounds.
Response: OK!
ALRIGHTY THEN. Those last couple lines were made up, but I think you catch my drift. I only have 15 hours of multi time (Private add-on), never did a single engine go-around, did a bunch of single engine landings, and was given some study material written by a pilot that discouraged OEI go-arounds (Whitney Ballantine).
SO. What do you think? I think my instructor has a point, but he said he wouldn't even have time to reach down, open the door to the CO2, and pull the ring to activate the emergency gear extension. I say, go for it, it'll only take a second, and it might save $60,000. Unless there is a cow on the runway.
MORE SERIOUSLY. The point was to talk about the situation and understand that in a light twin, you must make decisions taking into account every aspect of the situation. There are no hard decisions that will work for everything. At least, that's what I try to get out of it.