Cessna Engine Failure Out-Landing: Glider Instructor Reacts!

What happens when your plane becomes a glider?! Well, Brian has it sorted, with this excellent successful landing when his plane ran out of fuel. But what could he have done better? And what would a glider pilot do in that situation?
Original Video: • Student Pilot Loses En...
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00:00 Intro
01:12 Reacting to the video
04:45 Decision Making & Altitude
05:36 Energy Management and Circuits
10:00 Conclusions
11:05 Epic Glider Footage!

[@PureGlide]

I forgot to include **slipping** in the list of ways to control your descent rate! Obviously one of the best methods, for both for gliders and powered aircraft. Just ask the Gimli glider!

[@AndyRRR0791]

Slipping it in is one of the best techniques!

[@grahambambrook313]

Some years ago I flew the last winch launch of the day with a young student pilot. He knew he was going to get a launch failure so we briefed doing a truncated circuit and a 'spot' landing close to the hangar, for practice and convenience. I had never flown with this guy before but knew something of his reputation and at around 500' I duly pulled the bung. Now bearing in mind our airfield is rather on the large side, I was still surprised when the student excercised a nice recovery but then ignored everything we had discussed and opted to land straight ahead. His method was to put the ASK13 into a beautifully executed, full air brake, side slip whereby we lost a lot of height very quickly, thus reducing the options for a circuit. At no time was I worried other than by his ignoring our briefing (which we discussed later) and our proximity to the Skylaunch winch when we stopped rolling. This was the 'party trick' that he was reputed to enjoy!! Anyway, to cut a long story short this guy, at the grand old age of about 22yrs became, and is still our Deputy CFI. Whenever I see a glider side-slipping the approach I am pretty sure, to this day, that I know who is in the back seat!! :-)

[@Rundumsfliegen]

Honestly the "Gimli glider" was a VERY GOOD Landing considering the circumstances. Well done by the crew. Random information on the side: I cant really fly gliders that often but the few times i got to to it, i loved it. Exept the flights were all pretty short due to no available thermals. And one time while landing the guy who owned the plane did a side slip that felt like we're going to "tip over" Interesting time that was.

[@drahnier63]

as a former glider student pilot i always ask myself why all motor powered pilots DO NOT HAVE TO DO THE GLIDER TRAINING AS PART OF THE TRAINING to become certified?! Sullys example on the Hudson River was the last and final proof this should be considered.

[@Johan-ex5yj]

@@grahambambrook313 I enjoyed that story, Thanks Graham. :-)

[@lexuselk]

the propeller in the plane performs the task of cooling the pilot - when the propeller stops, the pilot starts to sweat;)

[@PureGlide]

Exactly :)

[@nzelm0]

Hahaha

[@maxflight777]

“Talking on the radio shouldn’t be your priority “…. As usual, with your observations…. 100% spot on !

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Max! Funny some don't think so...

[@ethanbarsky5789]

@@PureGlide I really liked your criticism for this student pilot. He messed up the engine out checklist. He didn’t do the first S which is Best glide speed right away. He instead jumped all the way to the 4th S Speak which is what you do to tell whoever you’re talking to your technical last words before landing. mayday mayday (callsign) engine out, one soul on board, landing in a field (cut communication and focus for landing). The 5S if you don’t know for pilots who use motor aircraft is. Slope-Best glide speed right away 68knts in ce 172s Spot- where are you going to land Start- attempt to restart the engine Speak- 7700 transponder and tell whatever frequency you’re on your situation. Shutdown- prepare for all electrical and engine to be shutoff during landing procedure

[@ethanbarsky5789]

But he did a great job under a very unfamiliar and dangerous event, at that point it doesn’t matter if you ducked the checklist. If he landed then he did good

[@genetyk]

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. Always in this order.

[@upyurz5272]

That's how I was taught it in flight school and still have that drilled into my head 30 yrs later!@@genetyk

[@johncuthill9711]

Learn to fly in the USAF and gained a private, Commerical, and a multi engine ratings. I was very proud of my abilities and felt like I was an extremely compedent pilot. I left the USAF in Dec 1968 and within a year started college. There was a glider club at this college so I decided to join. Best decision I ever made. I quickly learned that I actually knew very little about flying, and I mean real flying an aircraft. In a glider you only have 1 safe chance to take off and same for landing. This in it self puts your attention during these 2 phase's of flight into the proper mode. A couple years later while flying a prop aircraft as a right seat passenger, the plane lost power. The pilot in command panic'd and in no way would be able to safely land this aircraft. I took command and safely landed the plane. I do believe that my training in flying gliders aloud me to have the ability to safely handle this event. Suggestion to all power pilots, learn to fly gliders also, it will make you a much safer pilot at all times :) Thank you.

[@PureGlide]

Hi John, thanks for sharing your story! Great to hear the gliding probably helped. I'm sure all types of experience flying other aircraft can help at times, but gliding surely helps a lot.

[@10percenttrue]

John, any relation to Fred Cuthill?

[@PilotPlater]

Thanks for sharing John. I'm very grateful for my glider experience too, teaches some great fundamentals

[@MrZachalewel]

An officer in the USAF who can’t spell allowed? Seems suspicious…

[@LuxPerp]

@@MrZachalewel what do you mean? Dude seems like a compedent spellar.

[@StayHighStayFast]

On the dangers of turning while low on airspeed- “Continue straight ahead to the hospital, or turn to the graveyard”. Great Video.

[@PureGlide]

Ha well said

[@ericoschmitt]

Facts. There were two hang glider pilots here who screwed up landing, low airspeed going down wind too low. One of them turned around, dropped sideways and died. The other just aimed at the trees downwind and flared. Didn’t even get hurt and still flies happily.

[@outwiththem]

Depends on altitude and abilities. What about if houses in front and engine quits at 800 agl high?

[@StayHighStayFast]

@@outwiththem Naturally if there is obviously a better option it should be taken. But if it’s in doubt, stalling it on always beats spinning out of a turn into terrain. Slower vertical velocity for decreased impact force

[@maxflight777]

Where did the butter get used ? I’m confused can anyone help please ?

[@largo6644]

I flew gliders many years ago, and I always think that fly gliders must be mandatory for general aviation's pilots. I'ts so obvious: you have to learn to crawl before you try to walk. An engine's shutoff is a nightmare for a no-glider pilot, but a dead stick landing is just another day at the office for a glider's one. I higly recomend begin your pilot's career in a glider, the purest fly machine: maybe you will end your career in fast jets, but you always will be a glider pilot.

[@PureGlide]

It certainly helps flying anything else. Cheers!

[@MrJohnyysmith]

Nearly failed my glider cross country test in a motor glider and was given some great advice not heard previously. 'If you have to land out, turn to head downwind as you will increase ground speed, ground covered, and therefore choices of landing place'

[@PureGlide]

Yeah exactly right, we do the same in the gliders too.

[@PilotPlater]

As a glider instructor and powered instructor myself, totally agree. Fly the plane, land safely, there's your priority. You are right though, the training for the written test especially focuses a lot on transponder codes and radio.

[@PureGlide]

Hey thanks Andy, glad I'm not the only one to think that way!

[@scottmontagu2554]

Forced landing procedure in a Pawnee; 1. Throw a brick out the hatch 2. Follow brick. He did well on paddock selection, keeping the airspeed alive and getting it down in one piece 👌

[@outwiththem]

Same as a Piper Colt. The Flying Brick..

[@yakalba]

I'm always looking for places to land power flying. Good to have options already picked out. No engine is 100% reliable and it can get busy fast when things go wrong.

[@PureGlide]

Sounds very sensible! Cheers

[@witblitsfilm]

Yup, definitely part of my training, constantly scanning for "get out" fields or areas to land.

[@edwardhotchkiss9085]

When in powered flight, always looking for places to land. It is in a cone of area defined by 45 degrees from the pilot position.

[@SPQRTempus]

It's good airmanship to be evaluating your options constantly, my instructors drummed it into me.

[@mwhite1474]

All of my helicopter pilot training in the US Army involved the discipline of constantly scanning for a landing spot in the event of engine failure. This becomes less of a relistic concern when flying dual engine at cruise while not in takeoff or landing regimes.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah makes sense, I also don't worry about landing options as much if I'm at altitude in the glider. At 5000 feet AGL for example I can glide at least 50km, so you have plenty of time and options. Of course I have to make sure I'm within glide of a land-able area at any altitude, it just gets easier and easier the higher you are! Thanks for the comment

[@witblitsfilm]

Yup, the hierarchy I was taught depends on the failure altitude, but AVIATE always wins anyway. Also, we are looking for fields in powered a lot more than a glider pilot may think we do. Pretty much all the time, you are questioning yourself, "could I land now if the engine quit?" - It's not just a gliding thing. Low level engine failure (EFATO essentially) FLY - The plane (Vg best glide) Field - Identify Flaps - As required Mid level engine failure (1000-2000) FLY - The plane (Vg best glide) Identify Field Engine - Attempt to see if failure was for a stupid reason (mixture, tank ran dry, knocked magneto switch wtc.) and attempt to rectify If not, prepare to land and Flaps as required Higher level engine failure (2500+) FLY Identify field Engine & fuel checks to see if valid restart Only THEN, mayday radio, IF you have time Prepare to land, Flaps as required Another thing with powered, which gets a lot of glider pilots. This is not about saving the plane. When that engine quits, it's the insurance companies problem. This is about saving your life. If you have to put it through a hedge to dissipate energy in order to reduce impact forces, so be it. There is no pussyfooting around with "trying to save the plane or reduce damage". Hey, if you get a nice big field and the plane can be saved undamaged, great.... bonus. But it is not to feature in your thinking. Safety is everything.

[@PureGlide]

Exactly right, and really it’s the same for gliding although we don’t think about it like that. By choosing the best landing location and giving yourself enough time you increase the chances of it going right and not ending in disaster

[@witblitsfilm]

@@PureGlide Tim, somewhat funny story for you: I also glide (early solo still currently but getting to bronze soon hopefully): A few years back when I was doing powered EFATO's from 300ft failure off the end of the runway, I picked a decent clear field and my instructor was more than happy with the way I handled it. I had about 3 seconds to make the decision and another 15 before we hit the ground. I made a social media post about it (big mistake in hindsight LOL) with an aerial image of the field with the tag "would have survived... bonus". All my gliding buds (those with zero power experience) jumped on me like birds on worms and chastised me: "the furrows are the wrong way, you might have damaged the gear, that's a poor field choice, slopes wrong, surface is a bit rough, probably an expensive repair to gear, not good etc. etc.". Powered instructor had to come on and correct them: "when a light plane is going down, it's going down...that field was an excellent choice....this is life and death at 8:1 glide ratio and 900fpm down, not leisurely considering your options for 'optimum fields' at 45:1 in a DG1000" (He also instructs gliding so has a solid footing in both worlds). It did get a bit of a laugh. At least the tug pilots were on my side LOL. : )

[@User0000000000000004]

Seems to me the first thing you'd want to do in any of those situations you list is FLY the plane. I don't know why you'd leave that part out? One should always FLY the plane. FLY IT DAMN YOU!!!!

[@skydive1424]

Agree with your assessment; quick radio call and look for a field and set up for the approach and landing. Look for wind, slope, obstacles and pick one and stick to it. Make a radio call after landing. Try to get a cold one for filling out the paperwork

[@rex8255]

Big screw up: running out of gas. I learned in the States, and was taught to ALWAYS have an emergency landing spot picked out. Basically, pick one ahead of you. It will be good until your a bit passed it, and then you find another. As far as the radio, I would likely have gotten set up for my landing and then called. Obviously he had time to do the radio work based on the success of the landing. And hey, the aircraftv was reusable, so it was a GREAT landing!

[@PureGlide]

Yeah agreed, it was really the order of things- get the critical things done first, then make a radio call if you have time. Running out of time to fly can be critical

[@R2Bl3nd]

@@PureGlide definitely seems like a case where the "aviate, navigate, communicate" mantra would've come in handy.

[@testmcgee9230]

Way to keep the nose down and airspeed up. Welcome to gliding, Brian!

[@paidgovernmentshill_6950]

Totally agree re fiddling about with the transponder and yapping on the radio. Aviate, navigate, communicate in that order, as I'm sure others have pointed out. Sure, a pan or mayday saying you've lost the engine, but ATC can figure out the rest themselves if necessary. But you can't argue with the outcome. Good job.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks for that, agreed!

[@mikewings]

As a power and glider pilot I had pretty much the same thoughts as I watched this!!

[@PureGlide]

Glad you think so! Cheers

[@stevemiranda2418]

Well said

[@gilvietor1918]

Powered pilots are taught to always look for places to land, always. Great video as always.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Gil!

[@Baddad36]

I remember an interview with a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight pilot. He was asked how wonderful it was to fly the Spitfire. He answered it was indeed a massive privilege but not that much fun. Every flight had emergency landing sites every few minutes and he spent most of his time assuming the aircraft was about to break! The worst area was central London because there weren't any.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah I can imagine would be short of good landing options! We have the same problem in gliders occasionally, but we try not to put ourselves in that position...

[@stijnvandamme76]

the BoB flight always flies so damn low because everybody just adores seeing and hearing em.. but not much room for calamities at those altitudes. I remember them flying over the Bisley National shooting Range, we were shooting WW2 rifles at 600 yds when they came barreling over with the Lanc, 2 spits and 2 Hurricanes.. 8 Merlins.. the roar.. It was a day of days..

[@Jeff034]

A - airspeed B - best field C - checks - fuel taps, engine restart D - declare emergency E - prepare exits - crack doors, harness tight.

[@PureGlide]

That's good!

[@garywayland6168]

I would Add after airspeed; trim…. Great checklist

[@thomaslemay8817]

When flying powered I always have a good landing location selected no exceptions. Way ? I am a mechanic I fully expect the engine to fall at any time. Man has never made any thing that will never fail. But I also have a glider rating.

[@PureGlide]

Exactly right!

[@dwightbernheimer331]

If in fact this was caused by fuel starvation I have to think back decades ago when my instructor said... There is absolutely no excuse for running out of fuel, unless somebody cuts your fuel line while you're up there flying... Good stuff, thanks for posting

[@PureGlide]

True although we all make mistakes especially when starting out! Read more about how it happened in the original video

[@alianjohnson6035]

yes agree that there is no reason to run out of fuel but lets consider the difference between fuel starvation (where there might be a blockage) vs fuel exhaustion (where you run out of fuel).

[@glennwatson]

Powered flight, we are told especially on navs to be constantly scanning for landing spots as well. My instructor will just keep randomly asking me at regular intervals where we would do a landing right now with the orientation, wind and all that stuff. Both fixed and rotary that I fly. Rotary is easier in some ways to do an emergency landing since you can go to negative airspeed, zero airspeed to make the spot you want, but you do need to be at 60 knots (in a R44) by the time you flare the aircraft about tree top height. In other ways harder since it happens faster.

[@PureGlide]

Hey thanks for sharing Glenn, very interesting

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

His *situational awareness* was spot on and his execution of the engine-out-landing was perfect.

[@brushitoff503]

Great review Tim, yes it was fuel starvation, Brian mentioned it in a reply to a comment on his video, it was either the plane was burning more fuel than expected or there may have been a leak. They put fuel in it & flew it back to the Airport the same day.

[@PureGlide]

Cheers!

[@M4Mnetwork]

Fuel starvation or exhaustion?

[@13megaprime]

Lior Bar-On essentially the same thing really, though if you want to split hairs, starvation is the engine loses it’s source of fuel, potentially still having some available. Think running a tank dry with another full of fuel because of improper fuel management. Exhaustion is totally running the airplane dry. So, in a sentence, the engine suffered from fuel starvation due to fuel exhaustion. 2 sides of the same coin, it all gives the same result of an engine that don’t work

[@ColinWatters]

No low fuel warning on these? Why?

[@harryspeakup8452]

@@ColinWatters The low fuel warning is both tank gauges reading E, which apparently he ignored. Fuel checks every five minutes at least in the air

[@SuperSpeedMonkey]

Did some pilot training many years ago in a few small Cessnas. From what I remember, they glide very well actually.

[@PureGlide]

Everything glides to some extent!

[@aviatenz]

It's an interesting one to analyse as from my perspective there was a lot wrong with this procedurally. But ultimately, he was a student pilot in a very high stress situation and he delivered an absolutely perfect outcome. I've never had an engine failure, so I'm not going to presume to haughtily talk about "what I would do", instead I will talk about what we are taught to do here in New Zealand. Firstly, you are one the money talking about the glider mentality of always having a field (or area of fields in mind). In theory that applies to the power world as well. It should also factor into your flight planning in terms of should I fly over this terrain at this height, or should I plan my route elsewhere to increase my safety margins. Having said that, in practice, your typical GA aircraft is moving over the ground a lot faster than a glider and so always knowing where you would go is harder; and of course the risk of an engine failure is just that - a risk, and not a certainty as it is in a glider. So it's very easy to get complacent. What we call a Forced Landing Without Power (FLWOP) is a very dynamic procedure. But in essence it is: select a field, plan your approach, commence flying the approach, conduct trouble checks, make a mayday call, brief your passenger, secure the aircraft, land. Obviously that is all as time allows with the aviation adage of Aviate, Navigate, Communicate applying. Just watching the video, it didn't look to me like he really selected a field and planned his approach. It's hard to tell from the cameras perspective, but it feels like there was some last minute make-what-is-in-front-of-me-work. I also didn't see any trouble checks (not that it would have helped him in this instance). Broadly, those checks are typically carb heat, switch tanks (if applicable), try different mixture and throttle settings, and try both L/R mags individually. He also got a bit carried away on the radio - "Mayday mayday mayday, , 3 north of , engine failure, landing in a paddock" was all that was required. Then ignore the radio. Transponder to 7700 and ELT activated if you have time. If he had a more planned approach, as you noted I would have like to have seen him fly a descending circuit with a stable final approach to an aiming point 1/3 of the way into the field (and this is really where your planning should start and you work backward from there). Once landing was assured, the use the flaps to move the aiming point closer to the near end of the field. I would have also liked to have seen him turn off the fuel, set the mixture to full lean, close the throttle, and turn off the master on short final. This is partly a protection against fire in the event of a hard impact with the ground or a structure, but it also prevents the engine from deciding to give you enough power to ruin your approach, but not enough to actually fly on. Cracking the door or canopy on final approach is generally also taught to avoid becoming trapped in the event that the airframe becomes deformed. As a side note, and a very big positive that definitely impacted the outcome: he didn't get focussed on getting to an airfield which is a common mentality for engine failure in America where you are frequently in glide range of a massive runway. Ultimately, the above is armchair quarterbacking. As pilots I think that is always a valuable exercise. But this is not intended by any means to be a haughty critique. Ultimately he was a student pilot and he delivered a perfect outcome. If I am ever faced with that situation, I can only hope that I manage the same.

[@Dudeisthere]

When the engine fails at just 1000 ft. AGL i would never attempt to check anything, there just isnt enough time to do it (unless the engine started quitting just after i made a configuration change, in that case undo that change). The same goes for the whole "fly a circuit" idea, great in theory, but once again at that altitude you wont have a nice and stable circuit even if the field was right underneath you. The C172 drops like a rock, especially with flaps out. Of course there are things that could be improved, but overall i think he did well. Most importantly he kept the nose down and the aircraft flying, managed to find a suitable landing spot and landed as he was supposed to. Thats all you can ask for in a situation like that.

[@tommorrisey3999]

Immediately going to radio violates the pilot’s hierarchy of emergency actions: aviate, navigate, communicate.

[@stormchaser9738]

I think he actually did Aviate, Navigate, then communicate. In the original video you see the RPM’s drop and he immediately pitches for altitude (aviate), then he scans and picks out his landing field (navigate), and only then does he call tower (communicate).

[@outwiththem]

Retired CFI. He ran out of fuel. But was lucky to have a great flat field to glide to. Good landing, but too many basic mistakes by running out of fuel and talking too much.

[@mumblesbadly7708]

Would like to know why he ran out of fuel. For example, what did he do during the pre-flight planning and checklist regarding his fuel levels.

[@mikespike007]

@@mumblesbadly7708 agree with that, a student will or should make sure they have enough fuel for their planned flight but it easy to forget to carb heat to prevent icing,

[@outwiththem]

@@mikespike007 For me it is easy to forget to put my pants on before i go outside.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah agreed, cheers

[@barbermot]

Great video. Slip is a good way to control descent. And yes, talk & transponder are taught as the final items in the engine failure checklist.

[@PureGlide]

Ah crap I forgot to mention slipping! Whoops, yes that is a great option as the Gimli Glider found out...

[@edwardhotchkiss9085]

With an airplane equipped with an ELT I’d turn on the switch to activate IT. THE SATELLITE CONSTELLATION SHOULD PICK IT UP FAST.

[@stevegallagher687]

Just took a glider ride on Harris Hill in NY at National Soaring Museum. Hadn't been gliding in about 35 years. Loved it.

[@PureGlide]

Awesome!

[@MrAerocomposites]

I am a rusty US private pilot. Have not flown in 25 years. I still remember the instruction during engine out instruction to "fly the plane" and minimize turns and land straight ahead if possible. Avoid stalls near the ground. Agreed about the radio. Stay off the radio. They can't help you.

[@PureGlide]

Agreed, cheers!

[@jimfryett702]

Early in my gliding career, I took power training with forced landing approach. This training and practice was an excellent boost to my knowledge and confidence as I began cross country soaring and the inevitable off field landings. The benefit of power with a good instructor allowed repetitive attempts with critique.

[@PureGlide]

That’s great. We do the same sort of training with motor gliders, to practice choosing fields to land in

[@sailingfromswitzerland]

@9:06 There's another option, which is to do a forward slip (I think that's what it's called). This is helpful when on final and still too high. It involves adding right rudder and left aileron at the same time. This exposes the left side of the aircraft to the airstream and will result in loss of altitude WITHOUT gain in airspeed. This is of course preferred over descending straight down because too much airspeed will result in a very long float over the runway (or field, in this case). I earned my PPL (Private Pilot's License) for Single-Engine Land aircraft in the US and my instructor and I practices the forward slip during my training. I became proficient in it and was very comfortable using it. I'd rather be high on final, than too low, just in case I lose my engine, and doing a forward slip is a safe way to get on the right "glideslope" when you know you've got the runway made.

[@simongault5804]

Another awesome video Tim; keep up the great work and well done Brian.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Simon, glad you liked it. I was slightly concerned power pilots would rip me to shreds :)

[@juhakettunen7971]

If a power pilot runs out of fuel, he has 30 seconds to find a landable field somewhere within 3 miles. If a glider pilot runs out of weather, he has 30 minutes to find a landable field somewhere within 30 miles.

[@12vibaba]

depends on his altitude.

[@witblitsfilm]

Totally depends on altitude. I've had "engine failures" (instructor instigated) at 3500 feet and then you've got your field picked out and run your engine and fuel checks in a minute, done your pretend mayday and you still have 2500 feet left and you're like "come on already, let's get down to the landing field, I'm bored. Then the EFATO's at 200 feet off and past the runway where you have 15 seconds or less to sort yourself out. Altitude is time, money in the bank to think. And it can be many minutes.

[@airgliderz]

Wrong, very wrong dangerous thinking, depends on power pilots and glider pilots altitude above the ground.

[@chrisruf7590]

I flew a ridge, lost the lift and was on the ground within 45 to 90 seconds

[@21mozzie]

When gliding on thermals, they start to weaken at the end of the day. Pilots can find themselves scratching around at very low altitude trying to find somewhere to land. Very dangerous.

[@garywayland6168]

My training in the 70’s were all dead stick landings in C-150. Now they are training these 747 circuits using power all the way. Augggh!

[@PureGlide]

What could go wrong?!

[@garywayland6168]

Hello! I was doing a BFR in a C-172. We were doing circuits so long I said to the CFI on downwind; You are aware we will not make it back to the field if we lose an engine? I probably would not have seen this without flying gliders. Glider flying definitely makes you a better pilot.

[@sodster68]

Good analysis and great that you support the guy with a proper shirt! I smashed the like button in the analysis and was about to hit it again when the you zoomed up from that ridge. Man this is one of those channels that needs a "Likes-a-lot"-button. Thanks!!!

[@PureGlide]

Thanks Patrik! please don't hit the like button twice it goes back to nothing ;) lol

[@sodster68]

@@PureGlide Exactly! I caught that in the nick of time but we need the Super-like-button. :-D I'll harass lubetube for one.

[@feathermerchant]

Did my primary flight training in an AA1A Yankee, The flaps, if you can call them that, have almost no appreciable effect. Slips, on the other hand, worked great. The thing I really liked about slips you could drop like a rock and then IMMEDIATELY regain normal flight/descent rate by straightening out (unlike waiting for the electrically driven flaps to retract).

[@Lambert7785]

thanks for sharing really useful information

[@PureGlide]

My pleasure

[@Peasmouldia]

I was taught the "footsteps" method. In a single engine aircraft when flying below controlled airspace, continually look a couple of miles ahead picking where you might go within 45 degrees either PorS if things get quiet. More practical in a Cub or the like. Most accidents in the event of a engine failure are stalls due to having to turn too tightly to reach your selected field. Ta.

[@PureGlide]

Sounds very sensible! Cheers

[@Peasmouldia]

@@PureGlide Dan Grynder on hi Probable cause channel has some wise words on this imho. Dan's a bit of a divisive figure, a big advocate of lowering the nose in this event rather than being directly concerned with AOA. Thanks again, really enjoy and appreciate your channel.

[@kasperadamson4654]

Nicely done. Beautiful editing and well selected music in the end. Surprised you do not have 140K subscribers.

[@PureGlide]

Wow, thank you! Yeah we'll get there one day, cheers!

[@peterensinger1770]

As a microlight pilot we are trained to always be on the lookout for a place to land this come from the old days of flying with the temperamental 2 stroke engines. we were always told 'Aviate navigate comunicate'.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah a good summary I'd say!

[@lewisgower1954]

I can't wait to finish this video!

[@PureGlide]

That's the spirit!

[@dougtarbet6193]

By slipping are you referring to crossing your controls. There’s a famous case of an Air Canada Airline pilot having to do this in a Boeing 767. The Gimli Glider. Thanks to the Captain’s glider flying experience he was able to rapidly bleed off altitude and energy in order to safely land at a decommission RCAF airbase at Gimli, Manitoba, Canada.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah exactly right! That’s the one

[@dwilliamson8539]

A friend of mine, who was also a sometime glider pilot, had an engine failure on take off, when two-up in a single-engine plane. He did a fairly high banked 90 degree turn straight into a ploughed field, as his gliding knowledge kept bail-out fields in his mind at all times and they had no injuries, with minimalised damage to the airframe. The passenger was the mechanic who had just serviced the engine and they were on a test flight. When they came to a halt, choice words were exchanged.

[@PureGlide]

Haha I bet! Thanks for sharing

[@martynh5410]

Hah! Just serviced and forgot to put the oil back in the engine?

[@paidgovernmentshill_6950]

And THAT'S why you always take the mech up on the first flight after the job. Focuses their mind..

[@thelorf6713]

That's a great tune by Torii Wolf. Thanks for the introduction to her music.

[@PureGlide]

It’s a good song eh! So lucky I was able to use it

[@peepa47]

In Czechia in a single engine aircraft, we are trained to always look for a place to land, and never fly over a large forrest, body of water or a city. Only if you fly high enough to glide over it in case of engine failure.

[@PureGlide]

Sounds sensible!

[@jennywolswinkel8548]

I wonder if Brian's radio communications were integral to his staying calm?

[@PureGlide]

yeah might well have helped

[@boahneelassmal]

Regarding the radio: I couldn't quite understand what he was saying, because unfortunately you were talking over him. But he did call itc and the first thing he did was identing. This is fairly smart. When VFR you aren't always talking to atc and atc doesn't know where you are. So from what I could read he said informed tower of having an engine failure over a residential area with very few landing option. What he's doing is basically saying "Hey ATC I'm in trouble, this is where I am, should you not hear from me in a couple of minutes send help to this location." Apart from that I don't think most of it was really necessary, same with the squawk. He already declared and emergency, gave his location andthat's it. Anything beyond that just takes resources away from finding a field. But apart from that, great landing and great reaction.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks yeah agreed. You can check out the full video without me talking over it, link in the description.

[@guinnog2]

A very competent and confident emergency landing.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah agreed, it went very well

[@robhobsweden]

In fact, the spot in 3D space you are going to hit stands compeltely still in your vision. This means, for the spot you are going to hit the ground when in a glideslope (without the flare) is not moving forward, backwards, left or right in what you see. Lengthwise, that means, if things on the ground move towards you, you are going to overshoot those spots, and things on the ground are moving away from you, you are not going to reach those spots. However, you have to include the flare if you are going to have the feel for the touchdown point, and that is purely by feeling, which is beyond the spot you are aiming for. This is why you often hit what you look at - you're focusing so much on that spot you want it to stand still, and your body reacts to it.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah good points! Cheers

[@phaedradg]

In case of engine trouble on a single engine plane, we had to use a very short checklist to troubleshoot and attempt restart of the engine. During my training, we practiced that checklist over and over again, until I could do it within 10 to 15 seconds (checking mixture, heater, tank selector, magnetos). In case of failed restart, secure engine if time available. Then lookout for landing terrain, make mayday call whenever possible, constantly keep an eye on airspeed, do landing pattern, unlatch doors right before touchdown. Practiced that routine many times.

[@PureGlide]

Good to hear, cheers

[@williamwuolo8926]

good training are Ultralight (LSA) deadstick landings. I learned this from the GT 500 I bought off a 747 Captain. Great preactice

[@PureGlide]

Good idea :)

[@kirkmason7079]

Important information. Running out of fuel is pilot error. The FAA don’t look at this as a minor infraction. FAR: fuel requirements for VFR 91.151, IFR 91.167

[@PureGlide]

Yeah maybe there was a reason behind it, not sure.

[@phaedradg]

Not sure if he ran out of fuel, a short glimpse of the gauges didn't convince me they were indicating "empty". But yeah, it's the pilot's responsibility. Had an incident years ago, with a young passenger in the plane, where my fuel gauges suddenly both indicated empty. I had checked them 5 minutes before, and they were still at 1/4 then. Tower put me in a holding pattern for inbound IFR traffic, so had to declare fuel emergency. It was the longest stretch home of my whole flying career, but I made it without a problem. Was a gauge problem.

[@kirkmason7079]

@@phaedradg The difference in your situation is the engine was not sputtering, as in deprivation of fuel. The pilot’s improper fuel planning, resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion

[@nuclearrabbit1]

Running out of fuel was the only thing this kid did wrong. Well done, sir.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah exactly!

[@Fractalite]

Around 30 seconds from the time that the engine fully stopped to touchdown and maybe only first 10 seconds to get himself in position for the left base. Certainly nothing up his sleeve there for changing paddock selection or confusion - very lucky to have good fields around . Great job Brian . I'll stick to aircraft with a great glide ratio !

[@PureGlide]

Yeah it’s real quick isn’t it! Like having the glider air brakes out 3/4 on a glider I would guess

[@jofox1186]

I wonder if he talked on the radio partly to control his fear and remind himself of the proper response proceedures to the engine out. In his position I could see myself doing this too.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah maybe!

[@grant8124]

Great video. Rarely does music work, but that did the trick in the end. Most times the video maker is more interested in the music it seems than the love of flying and raw sound.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks! It’s a great song that one, glad you liked it. Cheers

[@clearthepropeller]

Always thinking about where I'm going to land on an engine out. Was drilled into me during training. Also run PFLs regularly.

[@PureGlide]

Good stuff! Cheers

[@motorTranz]

Superb airmanship that one! Thank you.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks for watching! Cheers

[@nexpro6985]

Superb airmanship involves constant monitoring of one's fuel situation.

[@mathieuclement8011]

I learned ABC: Airspeed (for best glide), Best place to land, Checklist. At 1000' there's really no time to even pull up the checklist (shut off fuel to prevent a fire, open doors in case they deform or jam on impact, etc.), so it's best to have it memorized and focus mainly on landing.

[@PureGlide]

Sounds perfect, cheers!

[@21mozzie]

Fantastic commentary. That's a follow.

[@PureGlide]

Thanks mate!

[@sawmorebuttz]

i normally keep an eye out for where I'm going to put the plane down, also you forgot about slipping its what we are taught if we need to dump altitude without increasing airspeed

[@rohanchung2185]

I totally agree that he should focus on where to land than talking on the radio.

[@tderoo71]

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate is the order of priority when flying.

[@russellharris5072]

One of the most common causes of flying accidents is denial,where the brain gets stuck in a "no,I can do this." mode when it's obvious to the observer that remedial action is needed....................................

[@PureGlide]

Yeah so true

[@stevemiranda2418]

Thanks again for the videos, keep them coming I brought merchandise to support your channel

[@PureGlide]

Much appreciated Steve, and hope you love it!

[@TonVerkleijT3]

Well, my instructor hammered into me to aways look for a suitable place to land in case of an emergency. And try to avoid as much as you can areas where emergency landings are not possible. This saved the day for me when my gas cable broke, I was able to land on large stretch of new but not open motorway and could take off after repair some time later.

[@PureGlide]

Sounds very sensible

[@sirclarencedarrow]

As a microlight pilot, I always keep an eye out for landing possibilities, especially after having had an engine out at about 400 - 450 ft AGL.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah at that height you wouldn't have many options at all!

[@voidedname]

In single engine aircrafts you're always supposed to have an emergency landing spot picked out at any point in the flight. Cause Ince the engine quites, you're just a glider.

[@PureGlide]

... with a bad glide ratio compared to a glider!

[@chrispowell8398]

As a mustering pilot, yes always looking for a safe spot in the worst case. Only had one engine failure in about 3,000 hrs. The motor stopped when I was literally down amongst trees chasing a beast out and as I already had a plan I was able to execute a damage free landing. I was lucky enough to have a very good instructor when I did my ag rating who barked in my ear all the time about ‘engines stop anytime anywhere’. Nothing more disappointing than a bent aircraft.

[@PureGlide]

Goo stuff!

[@upyurz5272]

I was taught from the beginning that you should always be on the lookout for a place to land when flying and that relying on your engine is a mistake. This was so drilled into me that I would even plan my cross country routes to be within emergency glide distance to airports if I was flying over hilly, forested terrain with little chance of paddocks. Then again ... my older brother was my instructor and despite that I think he wanted me to stay alive :)

[@alepiati]

Those gauges in the beginning of video are fuel gauges. The engine failure was due to lack of fuel. That was a great land, specially under severe stress

[@PureGlide]

Yeah not good!

[@halfrhovsquared]

I fly a gyrocopter. Whenever I am flying, I am constantly thinking, “Where would I put down if my engine failed?’. In fact, I plot my routes across terrain such that I always have a few decent options for a forced landing within “gliding” distance (I put the word in quotes because ‘glide” isn’t strictly the appropriate term to use but it’s the one most people understand). I agree with you that it is a state of mind that all pilots should adopt regardless of whether or not they have an engine. Taking off is optional. Landing is mandatory. People get upset when aircraft land on their houses. You say that talking on the radio probably shouldn’t be his highest priority. In some ways, I would agree, but it is sensible to make a mayday call whilst you still have the altitude to get through. Making that call might make the difference between being rescued quickly, or found perished hours, or even days later. As long as he has the aircraft under control and has already pitched for best-glide, getting that mayday call out should be his next step (in my opinion). He can scan for his best field whilst he is talking. His eyes will continue to work whilst his mouth is engaged.

[@PureGlide]

Hey thanks for sharing! And yeah great to hear you guys do the same thing in the gyros.

[@samaipata4756]

As a former flight instructor I confirm everything you criticized and all your recommended procedures are very true and of great value also to engine powered aircrafts. During my 45 years of flying I had to deal with 5 emergency landings including a ditching. AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE is the proper sequence. However it is wise if possible to report your position at altitude, particular flying in sparsely settled area on the present frequency as well as on 121,5. Now in this scenario I ask myself as why he didn’t notice much earlier that he was getting low on fuel? If low on fuel and with no airfield in reach it is always best to still land under power in a selected field or most suitable spot that you can check first before landing. Great educational video!👍👏👏👏

[@PureGlide]

Hi thanks very much Samai! Yes that is a great question why he didn’t notice the fuel gauges :) thanks for commenting

[@witblitsfilm]

@@PureGlide Fuel gauges in light aircraft are next to useless - they should be marked INOP straight from the manufacturer LOL. They only generally work on the ground when stationary and parked on a perfectly level surface and even then, I wouldn't trust them. The best fuel gauge is the visual inspection before your flight to confirm levels (and therefore time at known burn rate) in each tank and then to fly by time and burn rate accordingly, with generous minimum reserves built into your flight.

[@edcew8236]

In the states, fuel exhaustion (no more gas on the plane) and fuel starvation (there was gas but it wasn't getting to the engine) are differentiated.

[@davidcampbell2845]

Aviate - communicate - navigate. Not much time left in this particular instance - if any - for items (ii) or (iii). I agree with your assessment of priority.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah it was 2 minutes until he was in a field. So not long!

[@willburrito9710]

The 1st time I watched the original video a while ago I thought he talked too much. But putting into perspective his skills vs. hours as PIC it was clear he needed to talk to someone to keep from totally losing it. His head movements showed me he was looking for a suitable place to land. He was grasping at straws with the transponder. Lucky he had someone to talk to. I give him an A and some good luck. He’ll make a great pilot.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah I agree, he certainly was looking around outside a lot which is great to see. So yes it was a great outcome and he did a great job handling the situation really. And there's always things we can improve and do better too. But overall they were minor things.

[@witblitsfilm]

Totally agree, aside from the radio and transponder stuff, he did a superb job under pressure. Hats off.

[@Cadcare]

Do you reckon Brian knew whether or not he was tailwind on final? That would make a BIG difference between a good story or not.

[@fredbloggs4829]

Glad you mentioned side slip as an option. As a glider tug pilot, you pull the power when the glider releases and basically set up for a landing way too high, and then side slip the plane to wash off all that extra height. Great fun landing those tug planes. The glider pilot is paying per minute of your air time, so getting it on the ground as soon as you can is the priority. I like to think of them as tractors in the sky. I'd hate to think what the glide ratio would be.

[@PureGlide]

We charge for the tow height at our club, which is good for the tow pilot, they don’t have the pressure and will do things like go around if needed more freely. And bringing the Pawnee down too fast isn’t good for it, I can’t remember the reason?

[@jonrambin1572]

Thanks, Brian!

[@PureGlide]

Yeah exactly!

[@diesdasananas69]

I always have to laugh at your intros. It's like you're surprised the camera is rolling

[@PureGlide]

yeah it's always quite the shock lol

[@joshuapatrick682]

Colours is a great song!!!

[@PureGlide]

It really is! I should use it again

[@tugpilothrs]

As a tow pilot and glider pilot I will weigh in my thoughts. Choose your L/A while you have some power. Dont just press on! The engine might die were you have no options. Circle the field checking for obsticles power lines etc Stay close to the field so that you remain in localised weather. To far from you intended landing area and falling into a large sink hole will not not make your day. if you can maintain height/climb and when satisfied its safeish then do your fault finding and call. If engine has failed. Use your flaps to regulate rate of decent( Do not be afaid at heghts above 500ft to put them away again to regain glide distance if you are decending to quickly.) Keep your speed up in your cuitcuit. A stall will kill you. Arrange your final spiral into a close in circuit. Widen downwind if you are too high. Don't extend down wind. You can always turn early but you cant strech your glide. Side slip is very efective on powered aircraft on approach but stop at least 200 ft to allow airspeed to return and safe rate of decent to be maintained and as stated, fly the plane.....

[@Gusto0172]

The rule I learnt in Australia when I did my PPL license was, in this order, 'aviate' navigate, communicate.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah exactly, I’m pretty sure that’s a world wide thing!

[@michaelksiezopolski]

Transponder code will help to locate the plane if ELT is not installed. It will focus on ATC screen with current location of the plane in trouble, so it is important, even at 1000' AGL. Conversations could be shorter, I agree here. Loosing power is still pretty common in todays aviation, so proper training of emergency procedures is a good thing to practice.

[@PureGlide]

True although the transponder will be broadcasting no matter what the squawk code. I doubt it wouldn't work for emergency search and rescue if it's not on the right frequency. So assuming that's true, it might not be worth mucking around with. Cheers!

[@michaelksiezopolski]

@@PureGlide The 7700, 7500 and 7600 codes are pointing to transmitting aircraft and are locking the screen when signal disapear up until is reset by the operator. Very good tool for SAR actions to point out last known location.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah and good to do if you have time!

[@alvgeirsteganehauge6999]

What a landing! Very good!

[@PureGlide]

Good eh!

[@mikerogers9349]

Great video-thank you. I was taught to plan a circuit and identify 1500' and 1000' downwind marks if possible. That last segment-was it close to the DC3 wreckage?

[@mikerogers9349]

@@PureGlide Cheers- I have seen gliders going past when at the top of the falls.

[@kirkmason7079]

I learned flying in a Cessna 150. We practiced power failure emergency landing and it can be part of your check flight. As you said first find a place to land. Next, best airspeed to glide. On a Cessna 150 I believe is 70kts IAS with a decent on 500 fpm. On final flaps and brakes as needed.

[@PureGlide]

Sounds good, cheers!

[@alianjohnson6035]

hey PG another good one. in power flying we use a check called CLEAROFF where the last F stands for Field - ie lookout for fields to land in should you need to. agree with your comments re focusing on where to land at 1000 ft, pitch for best glide speed, a MAYDAY call and then focus on the job of landing, turn electrics off after having made the field just prior to touchdown. cheers

[@alianjohnson6035]

@@PureGlide in case it all goes pear shaped there is minimal chance of things going bang due to electrics being on. cheers

[@PureGlide]

Makes sense, cheers

[@dennislyons3095]

With over 24,000 hours of power flying I revert to what i was taught from the first flight in 1968. Always think in terms of what you are going to do WHEN the engine quits instead of IF the engine quits. With over 2000 hours of helicopter time (nearly all in single engine helicopter--Thanks U.S. Army!) & over 1000 hours in single engine training, it works. The only engine failures I have experienced have been in multiengine piston & jet aircraft. Luckily the piston failure was a thrown rod during taxi out. The jet was a DC-10 on takeoff into low ceiling with a return to O'Hare. I now enjoy glider flying with occasional s.e. antique flying. When it quit, not If it quits. That way its\'s not a surprise & you are prepared before it happens. Gliders are the best teachers.

[@tsmall07]

I'm not a pilot yet but I think all pilots should have to have glider training. I've heard so many stories about how experience in gliders made for much better outcomes in engine out landings. Even one in a commercial airliner.

[@PureGlide]

Agreed! It certainly won't hurt to have gliding experience

[@jsmunitions1471]

He mentions to ATC in the original video that his oil pressure was rolling back. There's only one fuel tank on these planes, so it should only have one fuel gauge. Not sure about oil pressure gauges... but pilot made it sound like a loss of oil pressure leading to engine failure.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah maybe, not sure!

[@Mike-01234]

I don't get why so many people in general aviation run out of fuel? Just fill the stupid tank up and fly when it gets to 1/4 left refill the tank until its full how difficult is that. If your trying to reduce weight by taking on less fuel so you can carry more buy a larger aircraft that can handle heavier loads.

[@PureGlide]

No idea, never done it yet in my glider! I guess it's easy to mis-calculate or simply forget?! Or in a shared aircraft, get mixed up etc etc...

[@raytrevor1]

@@PureGlide When I did my PPL flying training, checking the fuel level before a flight was so fundemental that the concept of forgetting to do it is shocking to me. Like forgetting to put on your parachute or checking that your controls are free when you get into your glider.

[@witblitsfilm]

@@raytrevor1 Totally agree. Visual fuel inspection before flight, EVERY time. And build in a generous safe reserve and don't fly any more than that.

[@Rickenbacker69]

He did a great job getting it down! The only thing I could really criticize is all that radio chatter - one short message to whoever he's talking to, so they know where he is and that he's in trouble, then focus on landing. But he did remain calm, kept flying the plane and brought it down in one piece, so all in all an awesome job!

[@PureGlide]

Yeah agreed! Cheers

[@danamiller2673]

Screwed up his preflight a bit to miss the fuel situation but he lived to learn a critical lesson.

[@PureGlide]

Yeah we all make mistakes, the trick is to not let them get us!

[@PureGlide]

Thanks!

[@PureGlide]

Just testing the Super Thanks. Is it weird to super thank yourself?! Feel free to try it out too!

[@ronaldglider]

Indeed big applause for Brian! *However* AFAIK power pilots also make sure that they have landing options in case of engine trouble. They do this as part of their flight planning ahead of the flight. A good friend of mine (I lease his Antares) flies the Bücker biplane, and he makes sure that landing options are within gliding range. He plans to visit us at our Münster gliding camp, which involves negotiating two Alpine passes at around 10'000 feet. He has limited options!

[@PureGlide]

Luckily it's a long way down from 10,000 feet!

[@georgemartin4963]

"any landing you can walk away from is a good one"

[@PureGlide]

Yeah and that was even good enough to fly more!