MysteriousMrX

My understanding: *outside* the final approach fix... if you were to lose an engine, you go missed and work the checklists and come around again.
*inside* the final approach fix, you continue and land.
yes/no? (This is part 121, if that makes a difference)

rickair7777

PIC emergency authority, do what makes sense under the circumstances.

The further out you are, the more time you have to get your house in order.

SonicFlyer

That makes sense, but if you're on a stabilized approach, fully configured, and you can control the aircraft on one engine then why not continue the approach? A single engine go around is less than ideal and brings more variables into the equation.

Just my humble $0.02 but I can certainly see how others may disagree.

EMAW

Depends on the airplane and whether or not the failure de-stabilizes the approach.

firefighterplt

100% depends on the airplane and the situation.

In the F/A-18, if I lose an engine (especially #2) and I’m not otherwise in extremis (fuel state, fire, etc), I’m getting away from the ground, getting things suitcased, coming up with a good gameplan, and then executing said gameplan.

I don’t like to be reconfiguring, securing engines, running EPs, etc in close proximity to the ground unless it’s VERY necessary.


edit: just realized you said part 121. My bad. Anyway, I’ll leave my line of thinking as food for thought.

TiredSoul

Depending on aircraft, location and weather.
There is no one size fits all solution.

Piston twin: continue to land no matter what.
Even if the weather is down to the ground. Fly the localizer/glideslope till the wheels touch the ground.
Very few if any light or medium piston twins can fly required gradients for missed approaches let alone get you to a hold or alternate without cooking the working engine.
This is a flat out Stone Cold Steve Austin May Day.

Light jets, why bother, shut down and continue the approach and land. Unless you fly something where a particular engine and hydraulic pump run items like flaps or gear and alternate extension takes too long.

Heavy jets, go around and sort out at a safe altitude. Certain hydraulic systems may be responsible for flap or spoiler combinations or auto braking systems or nose wheel or main gear steering.
You need that sorted out before you embarrass yourself. You may need to go to an alternate if your destination was single runway.

senecacaptain

"it depends"

just be able to articulate your decision making which should seek to reduce risks to the lowest level.

If I am 1 mile outside of FAF and lose and engine, and it reason is not super obvious "why" it failed, I am declaring an emergency and continuing the approach, more so if it is at mins. The FAF on the chart is an "administrative waypoint" at this stage.

If I am 10 miles prior to FAF, I might enter a hold and call the company, talk to MX, etc. or maybe not.

JamesNoBrakes

If you have the time, you generally secure it and shut off the gas/sparks. Unless you have fuel starvation, most of the time an engine fails it's not "coming back" anyway. As stated above, there could be compounding factors with more complex aircraft, but those generally do have the performance to go missed on one engine, so then you can go do your hold and troubleshoot and run the appropriate checklists to ensure the systems will be adequate for continuing. As stated above, the FAF may be more of an administrative point, given the weather conditions and any other compounding factors. It may also be a good point to make that decision and go-around.

121 doesn't mean just jets too, plenty of turboprop aircraft and even some piston. There are operators still flying DC3s and DC6s, to name a couple if airframes. The best answer is always "it depends".

Someone is eventually going to have to find the engine too.

Also, don't have the fish.

Bmaggiori

There's too many variables...
but if you're flying with a good weather you can do what better suits you...
if you're approaching in IFR conditions, if you have a engine failure above 1000ft and you're able to finish the checklists before reaching 1000ft, you can land, if you're above 1000ft and you don't have enough time to finish your checklist, go around, do the checklist and land.
If you have a engine failure below 1000ft... Land....

TiredSoul

Also what do you call an engine failure?
Beaucoup sparks and fire and smoke and lotsa noise or did it just kinda die and it’s quietly windmilling out there?
Severe engine damage or it just rolled back and died?