Engine Failure in Flight: Unveiling the Invisible Danger (With Free Pilot Training)

Welcome to the VSL Aviation channel! In this educational video, pilots Seth Lake and Josh Campbell take to the skies in a Piper Arrow over Conway, Arkansas, to showcase a critical aspect of aviation safety that many pilots overlook: identifying an engine failure.
Contrary to popular belief, a failed engine can be deceptively difficult to detect. The propeller continues to spin due to windmilling force, and the gauges may still indicate normal operation as the engine turns, albeit without producing any power.
By watching this video, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the complexities involved and learn how to manage an engine failure effectively.
Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more great aviation content. Fly safe and stay tuned!

[@FreePilotTraining]

I’m so honored to be a part of such a great training video. I’m hoping we can do many more of these!

[@SethLakeDPE]

I love doing this content with you! Thank you so much for the support!

[@kasm10]

Would be great to see you both do backcountry flying in Alaska

[@ReferenceFrame]

23 years of flying and no instructor has ever taught me this. Thanks!

[@SethLakeDPE]

I'm so glad our content helped you discover something new!

[@AlyssaM_InfoSec]

You guys this was incredible. Seriously I think you could absolutely save some lives with this content. Appreciate you both collaborating on this demonstration.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much!

[@gawebm]

I've been flying GA for 30 years. Rarely do I come across something totally new. This is one of those times. Very eye opening. Great video.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Wow! Thank you for the feedback!

[@SD_AV]

I was thinking the same thing

[@buckbuchanan5849]

40 years of flying, one total engine failure due to fuel starvation (fuel lines fodded) in C-182 jump plane on descent after letting jumpers out....and didn't even know it until relatively low altitude as I applied power and had no acceleration. Like you state, MP and RPM appeared normal! Luckily I was over the top and performed a power off landing (prop kept turning until TD) with no issues. Anyway, great info and I love to keep learning even at my decrepit old age!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thanks for sharing!

[@davezink778]

What a great demonstration and video, thanks Seth.

[@sixtiethofasecond]

This was undoubtably the best YT flying vid I have ever seen. During PPL training I was never taught the engine would come back to life after starvation on its own accord. Really great to see what actually happens.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Great to hear! Thank you for the feedback.

[@donbarnett-tt4rc]

Wow!! That was awesome!!

[@Meowairn]

I had a catastrophic engine failure in eastern ky. & it was so quite I could hear the wind & that was all. Thankfully a small knoll was near & we both survived. After that i fly different I fly higher esp. over inhospitable terrain. Love the way you instruct & bring direct content

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you for sharing! Fortunately, catastrophic failures are exceedingly rare. Congratulations on a safe outcome!

[@Dremekeks]

Thank you for demonstrating this!

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@David5utube9647]

Such good info. Thanks.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thanks!

[@dermick]

Enjoyed the video. I often chop the throttle a few miles out to make sure that the "glide ring" on my EFB is accurate, and I can get it on the runway in an engine failure. I of course know that the real failure might reduce my glide ratio - I have it at 8: for my RV-8. When I first did this the engine actually stopped when I landed because I had my idle set too low. Thanks to this video, I can certainly see a scenario where you pull power, start gliding for the airport, and realize that you want a bit more power to safely make it to the airport, and then find out you don't have it for whatever reason. Very good lesson - you can teach an old dog a new trick!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much! Thank you for sharing.

[@helidoc2012]

Thank you for this video. Great job. Excellent teaching point.

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@ericm333]

Thank you so much for sharing. Bless you

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you!

[@jimries-jm6qs]

So many great bits of info. Thank you!

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@atcpilot4life]

Wow, awesome! Thank you!

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@lukebelvin4900]

Thank you Seth.. great info!

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@robertshaver4432]

This was really good training! I had no idea but now I do! Thank You!

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@TridentCapital]

Super interesting. Glad I now have this knowledge.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Great!

[@nyboardsports]

Thanks for a great video

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@erichenry660]

Really GREAT content ! I big thank you to both of you, (from a french pilot)

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@sebastianpreller4235]

Incredible valuable! Thank You so much! 🙏🏼

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@georgefoland803]

Phenomenal lesson - Thank You for taking the time to put this video together.

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome!

[@snowman100]

Am just going through my trainings and this is such a very great insight. Love you guys doing these videos together

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much!

[@therayvinson7839]

So awesome. Waiting for my PPL checkride and watched all your content. Great info to help me just be knowledgeable. Love aviation and just discovered it at 51 with plans to go all through multi. Will see you sooner or later to get my multi! Please keep it up. You are making a difference in peoples lives!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much for the kind feedback! Best of luck in your training!

[@firing_pin9971]

great must-see video for all GA pilots

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thanks!

[@earnedwings5206]

This was awesome to see guys thank you both very much for putting this together! Every pilot needs to see this type of information through their beginning training.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@madether]

As a new pilot, this is one valuable troubleshooting step. Thanks for sharing this tip

[@SethLakeDPE]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fernandezgonzalez8909]

Great Video Guys. You two always bring up information that many of us have not even thought to ask, but information that is very important when considering REAL WORLD circumstances and the appropriate responses. Thanks!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@seanfixit]

Thanks!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much!

[@NathanBallardSaferFlying]

Man, what a great demo of what happens in the real world when we “lose” an engine! Lots of myths dispelled there, thank you! Great content, making us all safer! Will be sharing with all my students 👍👍👍

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you very much!

[@dvpro1]

I'm in checkride prep and not once had any of my cfi's ever gone over this before. Thank you Seth!!

[@SethLakeDPE]

You're welcome! Best of luck with your checkride!

[@alk672]

Don't worry, with a constant pitch prop you probably fly you wouldn't have a problem identifying an engine failure :)

[@kmg501]

I'm not a pilot, just a curious observer. I have to say that collaboration really warms the heart. Keep up the great work.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much!

[@KevinSmithAviation]

Seth, this was an excellent video. Very informative, and something that will definitely save lives. We need more people like you and Josh, that are willing to get your knowledge out to the masses. I hope this video gets a million views. You are doing great things. Keep up the amazing work. Safe skies 🇺🇸🛩️

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much for the kind feedback! It helps to love what you do and Josh and I both have a serious passion for aviation education!

[@KevinSmithAviation]

@@SethLakeDPE that make a huge difference in how someone teaches. People who truly love to educate others pass on so much more to their students. I truly appreciate you doing all that you do. 🤘🇺🇸🛩️

[@JoseRivera-lt2cc]

Great presentation on issue/action not practiced in any single engine emergency procedure, Having been alerted to the potential of a phantom engine provides valuable insight to necessary emergency procedure action protocol.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you for the feedback!

[@norbswinx7615]

Great, great demo gentlemen! From a pp/a&p since the crankshaft is still turning thus no need to re-engage the starter! The "suck squeeze pop blow" is still happening!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thanks!

[@ipilkdarkavos8829]

As a student pilot I found this super interesting and valuable. Thank you

[@SethLakeDPE]

Great! You're welcome!

[@bugeyes5]

Great! Also - hello from an Arrow from Searcy!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Hi there!

[@21trips]

Great video and would you please do a video covering the recent AC 90-66C, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations?

[@SethLakeDPE]

Great idea! I'll get one together ASAP!

[@21trips]

@@SethLakeDPE looking forward to it

[@Factory400]

I have always compartmentalized engine failure separately from fuel starvation. If I didn't hear a bang, see smoke, rapid prop stop, etc.....I will focus on fuel starvation procedures.

[@AB-yt7gd]

Really great video! What kind of differences would you run into with a fixed pitch prop vs this constant speed prop? Love the hat btw josh

[@SethLakeDPE]

I need to do a video to show the difference. Overall it would be a very similar outcome but the RPM would drop a bit more.

[@AB-yt7gd]

@@SethLakeDPE look forward to seeing it! I just recently found your channel and I really like it! Very informative and shows DPEs want to see you succeed too!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Hopefully I can get some in-flight footage soon.

[@Rodhern]

6:33 "Our fuel flow is still going to work". Do you mean it will indicate a 'sane' (but 'incorrect') fuel flow? That is counter intuitive, because leaning would be confusing, if the fuel flow (pressure?) meter ignores the mixture knob setting. I couldn't quite make out the indication because the yoke was in the way; or did you mean it will work, as in report roughly zero fuel flow?

[@SethLakeDPE]

Good question and I wish we would have gotten a better camera on the Fuel Flow and Fuel Pressure gauges. The Fuel FLOW was reading almost zero. Fuel PRESSURE was reading normal. So the two gauges indicating a true engine failure (due to fuel problems) would be the Fuel Flow gauge and the EGT gauge. Unfortunately, both of those gauges are not visible in the video.

[@stephenmccreery6511]

Ìve been in a plane where the pilot pulled the mixture by mistake killing the engine he was able 2 restart but 4 a min or 2 it was a bit of a freak out the prop was spinning the whole time

[@mauriceevans6546]

This is actually AQP techniques advocated for general aviation by Dan Griner of probable cause and josh flowers from aviation 101. Scenario based training for general aviation

[@SethLakeDPE]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[@masonking7943]

What is a good source of engine failure statistics? I feel it would be good to know as a student pilot

[@SethLakeDPE]

NTSB website and Nall Report are best.

[@stephenmccreery6511]

The engine can stop but usually it jist fails to produce power

[@1dullgeek]

Does anything change in an airplane with a fixed pitch prop where you dont have manifold pressure gauge? For example, if when you pushed thr throttle forward, you saw MP change. Which makes sense, youre opening the throttle and letting air in. But with a fixed pitch prop, i would not expect to see an increase in the normal measure of power for a fixed pitch prop: rpm. Is my guess correct?

[@SethLakeDPE]

The failure mode is very similar in a fixed pitch propeller aircraft. The RPM doesn't respond to throttle movement, but the RPM doesn't decay much below normal idle and the propeller continues to rotate.

[@Airpaycheck]

One thing I will add on verifying the dead engine, and you touched on it, is if the throttle is at idle you can push said throttle up to see if it’s working. Too many many folks have been taught to retard it to verify. It sounds obvious but I know of at least one crash where, because of poor training, an engine failure was assumed and two pilots flew a perfectly good airplane into the ground. Also, don’t forget to keep your eyes out of the cockpit and looking for traffic when you are conversing. You don’t need to look at the other guy when you’re wearing headsets. Watch the video with this in mind and you’ll see what I’m talking about. My biggest concern with pulling the mixture is the potential to thermal shock the engine. Some engines will complain about that over time. Stay safe and fly smart out there!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Good discussion here. I agree that pulling the mixture should be done with caution and proper risk management. Even then it shouldn't be done frequently.

[@shamshuddinvirani4541]

I want to buy the ACS for private pilot but I did not see it in VSL. All I see is commercial and instrument. Please help. Love the content . Thank you Seth

[@SethLakeDPE]

The new ACE guide has all the ACS documents and handbooks, including the Private Pilot ACS.

[@stephenmccreery6511]

U know yer in trubble if the oil pressure drops to 0 and the prop actually doese stop

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

Move all the levers. Troubleshooting the engine is called. I used to teach it in A Secuense not erratic way.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@nicksmith8607]

Is this just because of extra octane in gas lines I’m rather new to aviation but would be curious if this aircraft would be as efficient

[@SethLakeDPE]

Actually, no. It's because of the windmilling force on the propeller.

[@fzakrzewski]

Interesting! That's why I still wear non active noise cancelling 100$ headphones 😅 I can hear when engine slows / stops When chief instructor pulled engine power on me during one of my check rides I was like "engine slowed" right after he did it, and long before we ever started loosing any airspeed at all Not ideal for those eardrums though 😆

[@SethLakeDPE]

Yeah, a lot of "old school" mechanics don't like noise cancelling headsets because they can't hear all the engine noise.

[@therayvinson7839]

That is a great point!

[@wesleymartin2615]

I don't understand why the fuel flow meter would still be working if the fuel is cut off?

[@SethLakeDPE]

If you have a fuel flow indicator it will read zero. The fuel pressure gauge however will indicate normal.

[@coredeveloper]

Actually human as average considers 3db as a noticible change in sound, so 1db isn't that Unrealistic, but you measured A sound pressure and NOT a frequencies. We quite good at detecting frequencies changes. Overall Sound Scene might have the same db level, but the frequencies changes mostly in low end where engine produces the most of the noise.

[@SethLakeDPE]

VERY interesting! Thank you for sharing. I never thought about the difference in frequencies vs db level but that makes total sense!

[@robertclayton7493]

Did Harry get a new PA28 or is that the same old hershey bar one that I flew ~15 years ago? 51 something sierra I think it was? I'm guessing it's just a different airplane because Harry ain't known for good paint and good interior... 😂

[@SethLakeDPE]

No, that's a newer Piper arrow that's for rent out at OTK now. Harry's place closed up after he passed away last year.

[@robertclayton7493]

@@SethLakeDPE oh no, I didn't know Harry had passed away :(. Been a long time since I was up that way.

[@kasm10]

Something special watching two experienced airmen double extra educational

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thanks!

[@yuriys3164]

I had no idea this is what happen when you run out of fuel. Is it similar in fixed pitch prop? Thank you for the video!

[@alk672]

Exactly what I was thinking. I don't think any of this applies to a fixed pitch prop, you would immediately notice the problem by simply looking at the tachometer. The reason it can be confusing with a constant speed prop is because the prop governor is acting as a gearbox, and since the prop is still windmilling - as long as you're at a low power setting it could very well be that the prop is spinning fast enough for the governor to mask the issue. Should you go full throttle prop forward you would have immediately noticed.

[@SethLakeDPE]

Yes, something very similar occurs in a fixed pitch propeller plane. I will make another video demonstrating that soon. You will see a slight decrease in RPM below what you see at idle but not that much (approximately 900RPM on most 172s). If the engine fails when you are at idle, you very well could not notice. The other issues with fixed pitch propeller engines is that if you get slow enough the RPM could decay to the point where the propeller and engine stop rotating.

[@SethLakeDPE]

I'm not sure I agree the governor is acting as a gearbox. The governor is nothing more than a high pressure oil pump. While a constant speed propeller will hide a dead engine a bit better than a fixed pitch propeller there isn't a huge difference. I'll be doing a video soon demonstrating what I'm talking about.

[@alk672]

@@SethLakeDPE I’d be very curious to see that. I guess if you’re at idle then it’s possible to reproduce the same effect, but if you have any power in at all - you should be able to see the lowered rpm immediately.

[@SethLakeDPE]

@@alk672 absolutely. If you are at a high power setting and starve the engine of fuel you will definitely notice it, no matter what type of plane your flying. The point I was trying to get across in the video is even when you do notice something is wrong, it may not be immediately obvious that the engine is "dead" since it will still be spinning and the gauges will still be working. I think many pilots have assumed they have a partial engine loss when in actuality it was completely dead. I'll try to post the fixed pitch video this week.

[@alk672]

Are we pulling mixture in flight now? Did something change since I finished my private? This is a great video, but that Piper only has one engine last I checked.

[@SethLakeDPE]

We pulled the mixture in this video to demonstrate a specific failure mode. I'm not advocating or suggesting that anyone else go out and do so.

[@shaunleier922]

"Promo SM" ✌️

[@David5utube9647]

Thanks!

[@SethLakeDPE]

Thank you so much!