Q&A - U turns back to the runway

--- On Mon, 4/26/10, Faria Hassan wrote:

From: Faria Hassan
Subject: Re: Flight Training Blog
To: "Patti Andrews"
Date: Monday, April 26, 2010, 11:17 AM

So I was thinking about your questions on the upwind: if we were 200 ft off ground and had an engine failure. I know in the abort plan we talk about lowering the nose and going left (on 30) but would I never turn around and try to land back on the runway? like a quick u-turn?

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Hi Faria,

It's a good question. I'm liking this blog... I think I'll also use it for good questions like this that apply to everyone.

That maneuver - called a teardrop - is viable under certain conditions, but fatal under certain other conditions.

West Valley temporarily halted all practice of the teardrop a couple of years ago after two club airplanes, in two completely separate accidents, crashed while attempting it. In one case, a very experienced mechanic was at the controls on a test flight when the engine failed for real, and in the other case a flight instructor was not only on board but demonstrating "how to do it right."

In both of those cases, it was not the actual maneuver (turning around) that bit them, but the wind conditions that prevailed over the runway as they attempted to land (see below).

In most cases, the maneuver itself (the turning around) has been a killer because of the very high level of skill and proficiency required to turn around under those circumstances...

* First, you must recognize and accept that your engine has failed. This is called the "oh sh*t moment" and those who have survived one say that it takes a second or two.
* Then, you must transition your nose from a Vy climb to a nose-down gliding attitude - generally more of a pitch change than people expect it will be until they try it.
* Then, you must turn more than 180 degrees to line up with the departure end of the runway you just took off from.
* You must know within a split second whether your turn should be to the right or left to minimize drift.
* The turn has to be made at approximately 45 degrees of bank to minimize loss of altitude.
* You're making this steep, split second turn while descending at some 800 feet per minute at a low altitude, possibly with buildings filling your windshield.

The majority of pilots who ever attempted to do this from 500 feet or less either ended up in a fatal stall/spin or a fatal CFIT (controlled flight into terrain).

Assuming you survive the turn-around, you still have to land the airplane with what is probably a tailwind and you must be prepared for the unusual pitch attitude and float/flare that goes with it. This is the part that got both of the accident pilots mentioned above - the unusual perceptions associated with a tailwind landing.

I used to do this at least once with each student from an altitude of 700 feet, often during the night landings session since you can only do it when you have the airspace to yourself. The ban is now lifted at West Valley and we can do these in training again, but I now feel lucky that I've had an opportunity to learn from the misfortunes of others and I would say that I will no longer practice this at night. I would, however, do it at a little-used non-towered airport if conditions are right.

In spite of the inherent hazards, I do think this is a very useful maneuver to have in your arsenal of skills. In the case of the mechanic pilot mentioned above, although the landing was botched and the plane was a total loss, the pilot was virtually unharmed. If the pilot had practiced the teardrop maneuver before using it in a real situation, the outcome probably would have been even better. So, assuming one is proficient at executing it and has thought through it as part of the abort plan for that specific take-off, I think this maneuver can be a good tool.

I can do a flight lesson on this with anyone who wants to.