manifold pressure guage becomes an altimeter

[sleepingsquirrel]

I would pull the mixture to idle cutoff, it would stop the engine, wouldn't keep pumping fuel through the engine and you could restart by just pushing the mixture back in any time you wanted. Turning off the mags would stop the engine, but if you turn them back on there is a slim but real chance you could blow a cylinder off your engine if it happens to fire at exactly the wrong time.

As mentioned earlier in this thead "after fire" in the exhaust is a real possibility with the chance of damage, but not blow off a cylinder .

 

Not mentioned but shutting the fuel off/on is a method of reducing power for a descent from altitude. Works every time someone runs out of fuel.

[N201MKTurbo]

yes, it is probably more wives tale then fact, but if you turn on the mags right as the intake valve closes and before the points close, there is a very short window where it might fire. This could cause the fuel charge to burn during the compression stroke causing extreamly high pressure in the cylinder. It would probably cause a detonation event. Would it be any worse then any other detonation? Probably not and these engines will take detonation for some time before it kills the engine.

 

I agree the chance of after fire is much higher. And nobody needs to hear a loud bang during a stressful situation, and after fire can damage exhaust systems and turbos.

 

While turning the fuel off will work. The mixture knob is more convienent and, if you need a restart, the fuel will start flowing faster by moving the mixture then opening the fuel valve. Especially in a carburated engine.

[jetdriven]

This is why the discussion. What do you do besides fly in the pattern until running out of fuel? Mixture, carb heat , blipping the mags, Personally I'd leave the prop forward.

 

 The thread I remember was that on reducing throttle to land the whole throttle cable and all came loose from the throttle and it was spring loaded for WOT. Sure you have to go around, can't land a Cesne 150 at WOT, but wait until running out of fuel? Not me.

 

Just cut the mixture of downwind and land. IF you come up short  add some fuel for a few seconds. If you are really long, put the mixture in and go around to do another.  The 180 power off landing is a commercial maneuver, and something we practiced since I was a student pilot.  its worthwhile to practice occasionally. It is also the last bit of a simulated engine failure landing. You do practice those, don't you?

[sleepingsquirrel]

No ,but I think about it all the time.

[moodychief]

If you will find a glider port and get 4-5 hours of glider time under your belt you won't worry about adding power as you will have the experience of not having a go around option.

[Hank]

Squirrel,

 

Grab an instructor and go somewhere with a longish runway. I don't practice engine-outs at my 3000' home field with trees at both ends, but at the MAPA PPP last fall I did a simulated engine out to a 2600' runway with a clear approach.

 

Your B probably flies very similarly to my C. Pull the throttle all the way out on downwind, and I just fly a normal pattern [Takeoff flaps on downwind, drop gear abeam numbers, 90 mph, 85 on final slowing to 70-75 over the end of the airport]. The important part is judging when to turn base, since being too close and a little high is much better than being too far away and getting low. If needed, you can slip to lose altitude, or increase to full flaps, or both.

 

I think if the cable broke and went to full power, I would go somewhere at least 5000' long, and use mixture and RPM to try to stay slow. Near the field, I would just pull the mixture to shut her down and make a "real" engine out landing. Longer runways make turning base too early less critical, and there's a handy Class D with 6500' just four miles from my home field.

[bd32322]

It would be possible for a glass panel system to show a total velocity vector .. so it would show where you will end up on the gound, given your current IAS, wind speed and direction, rate of descent etc.

Knowing where the runway is, it can also tell you when to start your turns - which will be one less thing to worry about in an emergency.

[Smiles201]

Been there, done that --- and got to meet the Marines!!  Stuck WOT, first plane, Just got PPL total experience 74 hours. Time in Type 2 hours (PA28-180). In retrospect, it was a good experience. At the time, I was young, inexperienced and a little scared. Anyone who's been in a difficult situation knows that you don't typically think as clearly or quickly as usual, but I knew there was no way I was going to cut the mixture and try to land at my home field with a 2500 foot runway. I had no idea when to cut the mixture, and no idea of gliding characteristics. Got my mechanic on the radio, and he advised me not to try and force the throttle closed, as that may create worse problems. Somehow I did think clearly enough to recall an airport with 10,000 foot runway close by my home field of Leonardtown MD. Called the tower at PAX RIver (Patuxent Naval Air Station), declared an emergency, they cleared the airspace, and I spiraled down to Runway 14....someone from my home field got on the tower frequency and said "don't land on the first 100 feet!" That was never a consideration, as I was not going to cut the mixture until I was close to the threshold (Later I found out that they have an arresting cable on the end of the runway to practice carrier landings). Plane glided quite a ways (of course a mooney would have glided much further!), total non event until I stopped on a taxiway. Lots of trucks, soldiers, and questions, before they were satisfied that this was not a terrorist operation (they recently got the first Tilt Rotor V22's and had other hush hush projects I imagine). The plane was searched by several marines, and no one was deterred by my name dropping my Admiral landlord and former PAX commander (Don Becker, flew A6's back when). Eventually they realized I was an inexperienced private aviator who declared an emergency and treated me to a very interesting and fun visit to the tower, and some minor paper work. Problem was mechanical fault in the carburetor.

[sleepingsquirrel]

Hey y'all I appreciate all the advice. I'm not having trouble landing engine out or otherwise. I had my Flight review recently and had my engine out with no problems. I fly into Moontown all the time, and never need more than 750 feet to stop. I don't need so much runway that they are bulldozing up about 5000 feet of it at my hometown airport. Thanks for the concern but I've got the Mooney under control. I fly plenty and am still able to get the gear up and down. I'm sure my awesomeness is lacking compared to most of you guys but I'm awesome none the less.

I simply started this thread because it is as close as I can come to getting away from "I went flying today and NOTHING happened".

[bd32322]

I don't need so much runway that they are bulldozing up about 5000 feet of it at my hometown airport.

LOL

Hopefully you are joking and they are not actually bulldozing your airport!

[Hank]

Squirrel--

 

I know where Madison, GA is, but where is Madison, AL???

[sleepingsquirrel]

Madison is West of Huntsville Al. Moontown is 3m2 .