Engine Out Survival Tactics
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Documented Saves
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We have had our first real-world SAVE! Check it out!


24 July 2017
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Well, I finally got her back and have been able to do just a handful of panel familiarization flights, and yesterday I was going to put another one under my belt.  I had my pilot/neighbor friend with me and we planned a trip (KFWS KBKD KMWL KFWS) to get some time in the air to play with the new electronics and practice some instrument approaches.  We had departed KFWS with flight-following and I was flying at 4500’ when I got clearance to climb to climb to 6500’.  When I started making the climb adjustments, some bad things happened all at once - I noticed a burning smell about the time an engine warning light came on alerting me to the EDM-900 (I had installed it as part of the upgrade), where I saw my oil pressure dropping to zero and rpm’s starting to run away.


I immediately cut back power, declared an emergency and requested vectors to the nearest airport.  I think I remember ATC telling me turn to 090 and that I was about ~8 miles from Bourland.  A few minutes later I checked in with ATC and asked how I looked as I did not have the airport in site and they gave me a 120 heading (I think).  By the time I actually saw it off to the right I think I was maybe 2 miles from it and I appeared to be on a base for a long final, but still had too much altitude.  I made the decision to go ahead and drop gear and get flaps out, and even then it required a couple S-turns to keep from overshooting, but I put it on the numbers (although slightly harder than normal).  Engine quit completely on roll-out but I managed to coast off the runway.   Unfortunately, I don’t think the engine survived, but hey, I walked away and the airframe is undamaged.  Turns out the oil pressure regulator unscrewed from the oil pump, regardless of being safety-wired.

I want to thank you for beginning my thought process on handling emergencies.  I really didn’t get to practice them so there are definitely some things I could have done better – set up the proper glide slope, checklist, etc.  That said, it was trial by fire.  I didn’t panic and I reacted quickly with ATC which helped get me in a situation to have all of the altitude I needed in this case.   ATC was absolutely fantastic help and I would say to anyone that flying without talking to ATC is ludicrous.  But, I really want to thank YOU for planting the seeds on how to react in an emergency - I attribute this to reading your book!  Just wanted you to know…

​​Mr Jeff Drewett

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Below are Photos of Mr. Jeff Drewett's Bonanza, following his successful recovery with a failed engine!

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