The National Transportation Safety Board, obliged to call attention to every discrepancy, noted that the tip tank STC required that any weight above 3,650 pounds be carried symmetrically in the tip tanks, but, in fact, the tip tanks were empty. Although only two people were aboard, baggage and fuel brought the airplane to just a few pounds under gross. The airplane, manufactured in 1966, had a number of STC modifications, including tip tanks, 200-hp IO-360 engines in place of the stock 160-hp IO-320s ,and a STOL kit that increased its gross weight from 3,600 pounds to 3,800 and lowered its single-engine minimum control speed from 78 to 70 knots. The crash of a Piper Twin Comanche in 2004 illustrates how quickly things can go wrong even when the pilot appears to be in a relatively good position as the engine failure occurs. The twin pilot does not even entertain the idea of an off-airport landing until things have gotten out of control. The single-engine pilot begins the emergency landing in control the main requirement is to avoid stalling. If they make a mistake,their situation is worse than that of the single-engine pilot.

Their object, consequently, is to execute the go-around correctly, not to find a smooth place to crash. Twin pilots expect to save both the airplane and themselves.

We hear about enough unsuccessful ones, however, to suggest that the challenge can be overwhelming.Įxpectation plays a role. We generally don’t hear about the successful engine-out emergencies unless in private conversations most of them don’t come to the attention of the authorities.

Us air force drops tank in wrong place