Pilots, what would you do?

Question

You are in a single engine sea plan flying over the ocean.

Suddenly the engine just stops. You are not out of fuel.

a) What is the first thing you do?
b) How does the ignition on a plane typically work? Is there a button. Can you start up on the fly? Is there a clutch or anything you would worry about like in a car?
b) Is it not that big a deal because it’s a sea plane, you are over water and you can glide in.? Or are you in deep trouble.
c) What mistake could you easily make to exacerbate the problem into something really scary? (This is for a screen play if you haven’t guessed, so drama rules over plausibility so long as most people will believe it could happen.)

One more thing. It has to be something they can ultimatly recover from and not crash.

Answer 1

In an Single Engine Plane - Pilots follow the ABCD rule for an engine out.

1. A - Airspeed - Pitch for best gliding airspeed, ie: Piper Warrior III is 73 kts.
2. B - Best place to land - now in an single engine plane. Unless I can glide my way to the shore, I will not venture into the ocean. If you are in a sea plane, well it makes it easier.
3. C - Checklist, now is a good time to go over and undo what you did before the engine out. Perhaps you hit a button or flipped a switch. - Switch fuel tanks because even though you have fuel... you might have a clogged fuel line, switching tanks is a precautionarry. Now try for a start up.
4. D - Declare - if you are talking with someone (ATC) then announce an emergency. if not ... switch freq. to 121.5 announce you emergency.

However, if at any time you are below 1000 AGL, (above ground level) just prepare to do a forced landing procedure.

Answer 2

a) What is the first thing you do?

By the book: "Maintain flying airspeed."

In reality, say "Oh ****!"

b) How does the ignition on a plane typically work?

Varies with aircraft but typically a keyed ignition switch with positions for first magneto, second magneto, and both.

Is there a button.

Some aircraft have starter buttons.

Can you start up on the fly?

Yes. Try to restart in a normal manner.

Is there a clutch or anything you would worry about like in a car?

Not in a single engine airplane. (Some helicopters have the equivilent of a clutch but it's not foot operated.)

b) Is it not that big a deal because it’s a sea plane, you are over water and you can glide in.?

In a seaplane, you may or may not make a successful landing depending on the weather, the waves and swells, etc. Chances are though, in either case, you can ditch and get out of the plane OK.

Or are you in deep trouble.

Depends if you've gotten the engine going again, whether you can make radio contact (Mayday), whether or not you brought proper survival equipment, etc.

c) What mistake could you easily make to exacerbate the problem into something really scary?

What usally happens is that the pilot gets so wrapped up in trying to restart the engine, he stops "flying the plane," stalls it and spins into the water.

(This is for a screen play if you haven’t guessed, so drama rules over plausibility so long as most people will believe it could happen.)

Answer 3

a) What is the first thing you do? ---->> Try an immediate restart; then assess the wind/wave direction, because if it does not start you are going to have to put down on the water.

You did say first thing right! however, remember in any emergency it is important to to AVIATE, NAVIGATE & COMMUNICATE!!

b) How does the ignition on a plane typically work? ---->> It varies some aircraft have a button, some have a key, some have both.

Can you start up on the fly? ---->> Yes ... provided you have all the elements required for a successful start.

Is there a clutch or anything you would worry about like in a car? ---->> NO!

b) Is it not that big a deal because it’s a sea plane, you are over water and you can glide in? ---->> Losing the one and only engine in flight is always a big deal

Or are you in deep trouble. ---->> You have lost all your means of thrust/propulsion so you are in some sort of trouble!!

c) What mistake could you easily make to exacerbate the problem into something really scary? ---->> You could stall the aircraft! ... or get into an unusual attitude ... both are really bad in your hyperthetic situation.

Answer 4

A. Attain best-glide speed (68 KIAS C172S) and check the mixture control and fuel selector valve to make sure everything is in order. The aux fuel pump may also be turned on. Finally, delcare a Mayday on 121.5.
B. If the plane is not out of fuel and the propeller is windmilling, the engine should automatically restart, there should be no need to turn the switch (this is the procedure in a Cessna 172)
B. Right, the sea plane will have no problem landing in the water
C. Panic, this is the worst thing to do. Just keep flying the plane. My instructor couldn't emphasize this enough. The pilot's first responsibility is to fly the plane, everything else is secondary.

Answer 5

a) First thing I do is check all of the instruments and try to restart the engine using memory and checklists.
b) Depends on the plane. Most propeller planes (which I assume that you're asking about) have a key that you must turn to engage the starter while you provide fuel flow to the engine. Yes, most engines have the ability for an airborne restart.
c) Correct, if it's a seaplane, there is less to worry about. The plane has floats, so you can land it like you normally would a seaplane. However, the water must still be considered and all precautions must still be taken... The pilot must not use that excuse to forget that it's an emergency landing.
d) Want to make things very interesting? Make it so that the pilot is so desperate and worried about restarting the engine that the pilot pays less attention to the airspeed. If the plane stalls, the plane starts to fall like a brick. That will make any pilot nervous.

Good luck on your screenplay and I hope that info helps you.

Answer 6

With every day pass, our country is getting into more and more trouble. The inflation, unemployment and falling value of dollar are the main concern for our Government but authorities are just sleeping, they don’t want to face the fact. Media is also involve in it, they are force to stop showing the real economic situation to the people. I start getting more concern about my future as well as my family after watching the response of our Government for the people that affected by hurricane Katrina.

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Answer 7

a) emergency checklist
b) its usually a key, unless its an electric start..starting on the fly is generally easier than on the ground, because the wind helps to turn the prop (which is directly connected to the crankshaft on small SE airplanes)..and no..no clutch.
b2?) well having a sea plane certianly helps with that whole ditching concept,,which is generally barely surviveable
c)if you dont' do the emergency checklist..or if you do it and DO NOT verify the checklist itself (do it from memory w/out double checking) you're very likely to miss somethin in an emergency that could be essential

for example

carburetor heat...is very often missed, and is a very common cause of engine failure...it's usually FIRST on emergency checklists..so that its on to break away the ice inside of the carbureator as quickly as possible..if you miss this..and don't catch that you've missed it..you're now ditching an engine that could be recovered within a few minutes *altitude permitting

i'd say your best bet for a believeable stand point is a missed checklist item..it's a very common pilot error and can be very, very serious

good luck man

Answer 8

Number 1 - Establish glide speed for min rate of descent and pull carbarettor heat
Number 2 - Get radio comms established. If your going for a swim ..this is you best hope survival. Activate your ELT manually...Don't wait for the crash.
Number 3 - switch fuel tanks and attempt restart. The propeller will windmill with airflow. Play with Magneto switches, prime a few times, try different throttle settings
Number 4 - If failed to start...prepare for ditching. Immersion suit on, survival equipment accessible
Number 4 - Ditching Parallel to surf with lowest possible airspeed. Crack open door and leave gear up. Retract flaps (if low wing) immediatly prior to touch-down.
Hopefully someone heard you and knows your LOP

Answer 9

In addition to the "ABCD" already mentioned, some pilots do fly over large stretches of water when flying from the USA to Europe, for instance, which typically is flown up through Nova Scotia, to Greenland, to Iceland, to Ireland, and then on to where you want to go. A prudent pilot rents a liferaft and wears a "survival suit", a specially designed suit that will protect you from the icy cold near Arctic waters of that latitude long enough after ditching to deploy the liferaft and get in -- unprotected, people can die in mere minutes.

After the flight, you can return the unused liferaft to get your deposit back.

Answer 10

Don't stop flying the plane like John Denver did back in 1997. He would have survived if he just kept the plane steady while it hit the surf.