There’s not going to be anything new in this article. Every pilot who earned his or her multi-engine rating has undergone training in how to handle one-engine-inoperative (OEI) situations whenever they may occur. Yet, in recent years King Airs seem to have been involved in a rash of very serious, usually fatal, accidents during takeoff. Why? Specifically, why has this started occurring more often? The basic King Air of today is very much like its predecessors going back over 50 years. Yes, the 200-series that debuted in 1974 contain vast improvements over the 90- and 100-series that came before and the 300-series is even more advanced. However, the procedures that need to be correctly applied to handle an engine failure on takeoff have not changed in any significant manner. Please indulge me as I don my certificated flight instructor (CFI) jacket and review with you how to successfully handle an engine failure on takeoff.
Which is your preferred choice: Being on the ground wishing you were flying or flying while wishing you were on the ground? Most of us will pick good ol’ terra firma every time. If an engine starts acting strange before decision speed, V1, abort the takeoff! In my opinion, there is a big difference in planning and mindset when operating on a runway of minimal length compared to the jetliner length strips we usually use. When the runway is short, it’s time to pull out the POH and really examine the takeoff numbers thoroughly. Pressure altitude, OAT, wind, known obstacles, runway slope and condition … all these and more enter the equation. Also, now’s the time to make a true short field takeoff: Line up with the longitudinal axis pointed about 10 degrees to the right – since it’ll swing left when the brakes are released – and set power while holding the brakes tightly to prevent creeping forward.
One of my past articles presented the concept of “Using Big Numbers.” If the runway is much longer than the minimum required for the conditions you face, then use the POH charts to calculate your performance at maximum gross weight, with no wind, and with the highest OAT allowed. Do the numbers still look good even in these severe conditions? If so, then does it not follow that our actual takeoff performance numbers will be better than these under any situation not as severe? Hence, how about using the higher V-speeds associated with the maximum weight even when at lighter weights?
In some models the speed difference can be significant: Over 10 knots in V1 and more than 5 knots in V2. On the other hand, some models – the E90 for example – do not vary the speed based on weight.
Since blueline, VYSE, is based on maximum gross weight, if we’re lighter than max gross then won’t our climb be quite acceptable using that speed even though the actual VYSE will be lower? Of course!
If you abort the takeoff on a short runway, should single-engine reverse thrust be used? In some King Air models the answer is “no,” in others it is “yes.” Study your own POH to learn for sure. (It may be correct to use ground fine in some.)
Our Four Friends: Power, Props, Flaps and Gear
The entire first chapter in my first book was devoted to the four friends. How tremendously useful they can be in many different King Air flying situations! What about takeoff?
Power should already be set before a suspected power loss is experienced. But is it? Now is not the time to tweak the last little bit of torque. Needless to say, reverting to the training you received in the Duchess or Seminole is incorrect for the PT6. We cannot “firewall” the power levers without probably causing significant exceedances of torque and/or ITT limits.
If you have not yet heard of PLM – Power Lever Migration – where have you been?! The PT6 power lever linkage contains a spring that is always trying to retard the power lever toward idle. If the friction knobs are not snugged up sufficiently by clockwise rotation then you have set yourself up for a very dangerous event: A loss of power when the hand moves off the power levers to reach for the landing gear handle! What a bad time to lose power!
As I have written in previous articles, more often than not PLM is a humorous event, not a dangerous one. The pilot observes the power lever(s) sliding back, returns his hand to them, resets the desired takeoff power, and then must figure out a way to tighten the knob while still flying the airplane … and, finally, getting the gear handle up. But, if the aft migration is not observed and if the power step of the Four Friends has already been “checked off” in the pilot’s mind, then tragedy can follow.
Each King Air is different. In some, even with the friction knobs fully backed off by turning the knobs counterclockwise to their limits, the levers do not move. In others, both snap back aggressively. Probably the most common outcome is that both move aft but the left side much more so than the right. Due to the length of the cable and its routing from the cockpit to the fuel control unit (located on the right side of both engines, making the left cable shorter than the right) almost always the left side has less friction and will migrate more.
With the left engine at or near idle due to PLM, with the right engine having lost significant power also, and with autofeather no longer able to operate – remember, BOTH power levers must be well-advanced for either side’s propeller to automatically feather – the deck is stacked against the pilot. Holding the normal +10° pitch attitude will lead to speeds well below V2, quickly approaching VMCA! Disaster!
The second of the Four Friends is Props. The propeller levers should always be full forward on takeoff, of course. Never, ever, retard them before the airplane is totally clean – flaps and gear up – and at least 400 feet AGL has been attained. Realize that once the prop levers are pulled back, the fuel topping governor is reset to a speed that is usually less than the operating speed of the overspeed governor. The overspeed governor doesn’t reduce power; the fuel topping governor does … usually it reduces it a LOT. When there is any question in your mind, just leave the propeller levers fully forward. There’s no time limit for operation at maximum RPM. The only advantage of using less than max RPM is the reduction in noise level.
The third friend: Flaps. Most, not all, of the members of the 90-series have no charts that give performance numbers when using flaps for takeoff. The other series do indeed publish numbers both with and without flaps. Almost always, the accelerate-go distance will be less when using approach flaps so that is the default setting for most shorter runways. They don’t get retracted until 400 feet and VYSE have both been attained. Hence, there is nothing to do now in the Flaps challenge of the Four Friends.
Last of the Friends: Gear. Yes, we must move the handle to the “up” position now. In the “helmet fire” that tends to occur when a major loss of power is experienced close to the runway during takeoff, it can be easy to fixate on aircraft control and overlook the important step of landing gear retraction. Don’t let that happen to you. Complete the drill designated by the Four Friends.
A little sidenote: Shortly after the model 200 emerged, I was giving instruction at the factory in BB-11. Although a lot of our single-engine work was conducted between 6,000 and 10,000 feet MSL, on this day a cloud deck forced us to be near 11,000 feet, minimum. I set up our normal two-engine ILS approach configuration with the student knowing a go-around with an engine failure was going to be given at 200 feet above our make-believe runway. As the student added go-around power I pulled the left condition lever into cutoff. Power. Both power levers were advanced properly until the right engine was at its training ITT limit: 700° for the -41s that were on BB-11. Props: Both propeller levers were pushed full forward. By now, autofeather had the left propeller nearly stopped. Flaps: Up they came. Gear? The poor student overlooked it! Dang!
Before I pointed out the error and chastised my student for overlooking that critical step, it dawned on me that we were still climbing at about 500 fpm! I think that is when it first hit me how “super” the “Super King Air 200” really was, compared to its predecessors. Now, yes, there were only two of us onboard and we had maybe 2,000 pounds of fuel so we certainly were not heavy. But we were also over 11,000 feet! Dang! Love the performance of the 200s … and 300s even more!
Realize that parasite drag depends on velocity, squared. The drag of the gear at 90 knots is only one-fourth of the drag at 180 knots. It’s not hurting you as badly as you may think down at V2. However, let’s remember to retract it!
While performing the steps of the Four Friends drill, we also must “fly the airplane!” The go-around setting of the flight director is usually set for +7°. This is an attitude that will yield very close to VYSE in the old PT6A-20-powered A90s, B90s and C90s. However, the attitude is too low for the 200- and 300-series. The 350 POH is the first and only one that specifies a takeoff pitch attitude of +10°. However, if you’re flying a -21 or -135A-powered 90 or any member of the 200- or 300-series, +10° works very well and is what you should be trying to hold now.
Cast an eye on airspeed, of course, but don’t over-emphasize it. With proper pitch attitude of +10° and only one operative powerplant and feathered propeller, airspeed cannot be too far away from what you want: V2. But (and it’s a big BUT!) in the case of PLM that cancels autofeather and usually results in lower power on both sides, airspeed will be slow. Now’s the time to lower the nose to maintain speed … even if it means striking the ground. Hitting Mother Earth right-side-up and with some degree of directional control surely increases our survival chances, as compared to an asymmetrical-thrust rollover.
Forget the ball. I know that will be controversial for some of my readers but I am convinced that the rudder pedals should now be used for only one purpose – keeping the nose of the airplane on runway heading. Carry the lower-power engine a few degrees higher and “step on the heading.” If we were departing runway 25 and we see that our heading is now 230, we have not pushed hard enough on the right rudder and have allowed the nose to drift left. Locate 250 on your HSI and push hard on your right foot until that number is again under the lubber line. In fact, you do have the heading marker set there, right? Step on the heading!
We’re not done yet. After the first “Four Friends” part of the drill, the next three steps are Identify, Verify, Feather. I strongly suggest you complete them even if your airplane has autofeather! Two reasons for this: First, someday autofeather may malfunction. Not likely, but possible. Second, someday you may be flying an earlier King Air or some other light twin that is not equipped with the wonderful autofeather system. Why not practice for when that day comes?
Identify: Dead foot, dead engine: the old tried-and-true method. Unlike manifold pressure on the Duchess, however, realize that the torque indication is nearly fool-proof for the PT6. Dead torque, dead engine.
Verify: Retard the power lever of the suspected dead engine and make sure nothing happens. Well, something will happen, won’t it? The landing gear warning horn will sound. I suggest you then push the power lever up either fully forward or just match it with the other power lever to silence that nuisance and to get rid of the gear handle red lights which would have come on with the horn.
Feather: Go ahead and slowly and carefully pull the dead engine’s propeller lever all the way aft into its feather detent. Even if you are blessed with autofeather that has already feathered the prop, do this step also! Two reasons: First, it reinforces the habit for when autofeather is not installed. Second, it precludes any chance of the prop slowly unfeathering itself when you turn off the autofeather switch as part of the engine-out, cleanup procedure. If your prop rotates in feather, even quite slowly, it will create enough oil pressure to unfeather itself when the autofeather dump valve is no longer open. This is very common with Raisbeck propellers.
Why does it seem that fatal takeoff accidents are happening more often now than in past years? I wish I knew. However, I do have some guesses.
My speculative ideas will reflect negatively on many of my pilot readers. I am sorry if I make you feel bad. In my 53 years of being a flight instructor I have reached the maddening conclusion that the average level of flying skill has noticeably degraded. The older pilots who cut their teeth on Twin Beech 18s, DC-3s and such, knew how to use their feet. I swear when I was doing initial King Air training with a DC-9 airline captain, there wouldn’t have been much difference if he was missing his legs from the knees down! Put “Get a tailwheel endorsement” into your wish list of things to do. It will make you a better pilot.
Also, the old-timers were used to engine problems with those old radial motors. They probably logged much, much more OEI time than any recent aviator.
They also didn’t have as much automation and instrumentation as we do now. Autopilots? They were relatively rare so much more hand-flying was routinely accomplished. PFDs? MFDs? No such things. Just “steam gauges.” But you know what? They never had to remember whether the plane they were flying today had a turn-and-slip or a skid bar.
Friends, the old “Jenny in the Tree” quote – “Flying is not inherently dangerous but to an even greater extent than the sea it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.” – will forever be true. When you are the one in charge of providing safe air transportation for your employer, family or friends, realize that their lives are in your hands. If you are not confident that your skill is sufficient for the task, then it’s not. Take steps to attain the level of skill you want and need before you harm yourself and others.