Page 20 - January 23

The POH procedures for other models are usually almost identical to the ones written here.
Where is The Drill in these procedures? In the second one, an argument could be made that at least most of the steps in The Drill are there. First step – Power? Yes, that is step one. But if you already know that an engine failure has occurred – and it seems as if the checklist writers assume this to be the case since “Engine Failure” is in the title – then it seems that ensuring power is at “Maximum Allowable” would involve only the remaining powerplant. If this “failure” is due to Power Lever Migration and we attended to only the other engine’s power lever, we have not addressed this easily correctable problem! Not to mention, of course, that autofeather requires both power levers to be well-advanced for either side to automatically feather.
Second step of The Drill – Props? Nowhere to be seen here. “Don’t be a nitpicker, Tom! The prop levers are already full forward for takeoff!” Are they? A lot of model 300 pilots have made a takeoff with them back at the minimum speed decent (1,450 RPM) because the POH tells you (quite stupidly in my opinion) to have them there for all ground operations.
Third step of The Drill – Flaps? This doesn’t get mentioned until Step 6, but I am satisfied with that. The takeoff performance charts are quite thorough for the 200 series and if we have decided to use approach
flaps for takeoff – to gain the benefit of a lower V2 speed and a shorter accelerate-go distance – then it is proper procedure to leave them alone until attaining both 400 feet and VYSE.
Fourth step of The Drill – Gear? Yes, it’s in the procedure correctly.
Now let’s examine the first of these two POH procedures that I have presented: Emergency Engine Shutdown. The first two reasons for doing this procedure make good sense: Torque runaway and fire. (I am still waiting to hear of any inflight PT6 fire.) The third reason, “Engine Failure in Flight,” however? How do we (already a bit shook up by a loss of some power) really know that the engine has failed? What if it is merely a case of Power Lever Migration that would be immediately corrected if we only did Step 1 of The Drill?! Would it not be horribly embarrassing to pull the condition lever into fuel cutoff when the only thing wrong was that the power lever slipped back a bit?
“You’re being OCD about this, Tom! Any pilot is going to notice the power lever moving back and will then push it forward!” Oh, how I wish you were correct on that opinion! Yes, I bet seeing the migration and reacting properly to it has happened thousands of times with no bad outcome at all. What about that one-in-a-thousand times, however, when the motion was not seen? When the
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18 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
JANUARY 2023