How to Handle Engine Failures

Understanding Engine Failure as an Emergency

Engine failure is one of the most extensively trained-for emergencies in aviation because it can occur at any phase of flight—takeoff, climb, cruise, or approach—and the appropriate response varies significantly depending on altitude, aircraft type, and terrain. Modern flight training programs, as outlined in the FAA's Airplane Flying Handbook and equivalent international guidance, emphasize that a successful outcome depends less on the failure itself and more on the pilot's immediate recognition and disciplined response.

Engine failures can result from fuel starvation or exhaustion, mechanical malfunction, foreign object damage, icing, or improper maintenance. Regardless of cause, the pilot's priorities remain consistent: maintain aircraft control, identify a suitable course of action, and communicate as workload permits.

The Golden Rule: Fly the Airplane First

The most repeated principle in emergency training is "aviate, navigate, communicate." Loss of engine power does not mean loss of control. Every aircraft, even without engine thrust, remains a glider capable of controlled flight. Pilots are trained to immediately establish and maintain the aircraft's best glide speed—the airspeed that maximizes glide distance for a given altitude, as published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for that specific aircraft type.

Immediate Actions: Memory Items

Most aircraft checklists distinguish between memory items (also called "boldface" procedures) that must be executed immediately without reference to a checklist, and amplified checklist items that can be completed once the aircraft is stabilized.

Single-Engine Aircraft Procedures

For single-engine piston aircraft, memory items typically include:

• Establishing best glide speed
• Selecting a suitable landing area
• Attempting a restart if altitude and time permit (checking fuel selector, mixture, ignition/magnetos, and primer)
• Securing the aircraft if restart is unsuccessful (fuel shutoff, mixture to idle cutoff, ignition off)

The order and specific steps vary by aircraft make and model, which is why pilots are required to know their specific aircraft's emergency checklist rather than relying on generic procedures.

Multi-Engine Aircraft Procedures

In multi-engine aircraft, an engine failure introduces additional complexity, particularly asymmetric thrust, which can cause a yawing and rolling tendency toward the failed engine. Memory items for multi-engine pilots typically emphasize:

• Maintaining directional control with rudder input
• Identifying the failed engine ("dead foot, dead engine" is a common mnemonic)
• Verifying before securing the engine
• Feathering the propeller if applicable, to reduce drag

Multi-engine training places significant emphasis on avoiding accidental shutdown of the operating engine, a documented cause of accidents in twin-engine aircraft historically.

Altitude and Phase of Flight Considerations

Engine Failure After Takeoff

Engine failure shortly after takeoff is widely regarded as one of the most demanding scenarios due to low altitude, low airspeed, and limited time to react. Training organizations universally teach that, absent sufficient altitude and a return-to-airport capability that has been briefed and rehearsed, the safest course of action is typically to land essentially straight ahead, making only minor heading changes to avoid obstacles, rather than attempting a low-altitude turn back to the runway—a maneuver associated with stall/spin accidents due to the increased load factor and airspeed loss in a turn.

Engine Failure at Cruise Altitude

At higher altitudes, pilots have more time to work through checklists, attempt restarts, and evaluate landing options. This is also when air traffic control becomes a valuable resource, providing vectors to the nearest suitable airport and coordinating emergency services.

Engine Failure During Approach

During approach, pilots must quickly assess whether the runway is reachable or whether a forced landing short of the field is necessary, again prioritizing controlled flight into a survivable area over stretching the glide toward the runway.

Executing a Forced Landing

When a restart is not possible, the aircraft must be flown to a forced landing. Training emphasizes the acronym-based checklists that vary by organization but generally cover:

Selecting a Landing Site

Pilots are trained to look for the largest, flattest, most obstruction-free area within gliding distance, factoring in wind direction when possible. Open fields, roads, and other flat terrain are prioritized over unsuitable terrain such as forests or built-up areas.

Configuring the Aircraft

Once a landing site is committed to, pilots manage altitude and airspeed using flaps, sideslips, or S-turns as needed to arrive at the site at a safe touchdown speed. Passenger briefing, securing loose items, and preparing for impact (seatbelts, exits identified) are standard final steps before touchdown.

The Role of Technology and Systems Knowledge

Modern aircraft incorporate systems designed to reduce the likelihood and consequence of engine failure. Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) systems in many modern turbine engines continuously monitor engine parameters and can prevent conditions that lead to failure. For twin-engine commercial aircraft, Extended Operations (ETOPS) certification requires demonstrated engine reliability and established procedures for diversion in the event of an engine failure over remote routes, reflecting the aviation industry's layered approach to managing this risk.

Simulator and Recurrent Training

Regulatory bodies such as the FAA and EASA require recurrent training that includes engine failure scenarios in full-flight simulators for commercial pilots and, for general aviation pilots, practical test standards that mandate demonstration of engine-out procedures during flight reviews and checkrides. This ongoing training ensures that memory items remain, in fact, memorized.

Human Factors and Decision-Making

Startle response is a recognized factor in emergency handling. Training curricula increasingly incorporate startle and surprise management, teaching pilots to pause briefly, assess the situation using instrument indications, and then execute trained procedures rather than react impulsively. Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles, applicable even to single-pilot operations through workload management, reinforce the importance of prioritizing tasks and avoiding fixation on any single problem at the expense of controlling the aircraft.

Conclusion

Handling an engine failure emergency successfully depends on preparation well before the event occurs: knowing the aircraft's specific checklists, maintaining proficiency in glide performance and forced landing techniques, and understanding the decision points unique to each phase of flight. While the failure itself may be sudden, the response should never be improvised—it should be the product of ingrained training, systems knowledge, and disciplined airmanship.