Training and Safety Tip: Be prepared
Learning how to handle emergencies is an essential component of flight training, whether you are a primary student or working on an additional certificate or rating.
For in-flight emergencies, basic preparedness includes identifying and maintaining proper glide speed, running memorized checklist items, finding a place to land, and communicating about the situation.
When practicing these emergencies in a training environment, the instructor usually announces an engine failure and reduces power or covers a display to simulate instrument failure. In these scenarios, the simulated emergency is immediately evident and the next steps are routine. In a real emergency, however, it may be much less obvious what the issue is and what the next steps are. You will spend time troubleshooting in those situations. For example, a partial power loss, engine roughness, or unfamiliar vibrations require a course of action that will likely be more complex than dealing with the familiar “you just lost your engine” scenario.
To be better prepared for an emergency, speak with your flight instructor about the checklist items that you will do regardless of the situation. For example, you should choose a place to land (a nearby airport or off-airport location) in case the emergency necessitates it. If the emergency is engine-related, you should have the first checklist items memorized—depending on your aircraft, that may include turning the fuel pump on and switching the fuel selector to the other tank, setting the mixture to rich, and turning the carb heat on. Then run the checklist.
Instructors often use scenario-based training, and emergency preparedness is conducive to that. For example, your flight instructor could help you understand when a specific type of situation may arise (such as an animal running onto the runway when you are on short final, requiring you to go around). Bringing up those situations in the environment in which they may occur will help you get used to diagnosing abnormal situations—including emergencies—and therefore be better prepared to handle them safely. It is likely that if a real emergency occurs, you will revert to what you practiced in training.
