Page 20 - March 25

If the pilot pulls the power lever back to idle, the
descent rate will increase dramatically to nearly 2,000
fpm, and the descent angle will plummet to over 10
degrees down. For just a 160 feet/lbs change in torque,
there will be a 1,300+ fpm increase in descent rate,
causing the airplane to dive another 7 degrees downward.
That is HUGE.
The change occurs because the prop is now windmilling.
In normal flight, the engine drives the propeller, but with
a windmilling prop, the wind drives the prop and drag
increases dramatically. In a JetPROP with a windmilling
prop, the drag makes the airplane nearly impossible to
land. Simply put, if the airplane were to approach the
ground at 2,000+ fpm and 10+ degrees of downward
movement, depending on airspeed there’s not enough
energy to arrest the rate of descent, and the airplane
will crash.
In the PA46 community, the accident history in the last
15 months has been horrific. I’ve personally counted 29
deaths in this time, with 11 fatal accidents. Of those fatal
accidents, at least four were from a probable/potential
power rollback when the pilot did not feather the prop
and did not advance the MOR to control the engine (NTSB
reports not final). The impact forces with the excessive
descent rate and descent angles rendered the crash
Exceeding Expectations
• King Air Inspections &
Maintenance
• Garmin Glass Panel Retrofit
• Structural Repair
• Raisbeck Performance
Modifications
• Paint & Interior
American Aviation
www.americanaviation.com
352-796-5173 | Brooksville Tampa Bay Regional Airport
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­ KING AIR MAGAZINE MARCH 2025