FLIGHT OPERATIONS

ENGINEERING COURSE

DRIFTDOWN

July, 2007 1
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY
 FLIGHT OPERATIONS
ENGINEERING COURSE

INDEX

1. DRIFTDOWN............................................................................................................. 3

2. EN-ROUTE OBSTACLE ACCOUNTABILITY AREA ................................................. 4

3. USING THE DRIFTDOWN CURVE TO DEFINE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES.. 4

4. DEPARTURE OR DESTINATION AIRPORT CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAINS .......... 6

5. INTERMEDIATE ALTERNATE AIRPORT ................................................................. 7

6. TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENTS TO AIRCRAFT PRESSURE ALTITUDE ............ 7

July, 2007 2
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY
 FLIGHT OPERATIONS
ENGINEERING COURSE

1. DRIFTDOWN
For most normal cruise weights and altitudes, an airplane will not be able to maintain its
cruise altitude following an engine failure, and will begin to descend (drift down). In order
to remain as high as possible, the pilot will use maximum continuous thrust on the
remaining engine and slow down to the optimum driftdown speed, which is the speed
that results in the lower descent gradient. The airplane will then descend along what is
called the optimum driftdown profile. The optimum driftdown profile will keep the
airplane as high as possible during the descent.

Regulations require that the actual en route airplane performance be calculated in the
most conservative airplane configuration and then further diminished by a gradient of
climb of 1.1 percent for two-engine airplanes, 1.4 percent for three-engine airplanes, and
1.6 percent for four-engine airplanes. This reduced gradient path is called the en-route
net flight path and is used to ensure en-route obstacle clearance (FAR/JAR 25.123).

During a driftdown, the available thrust increases as the aircraft descends. Eventually, at
a certain altitude the available thrust will become equal to the airplane drag, and the
airplane will level off. This altitude is called the gross level off altitude. The gross level
off altitude, when corrected by the 1.1%, 1.4% or 1.6% gradient margins, is called the net
level off altitude and will depend on the atmospheric temperature and the airplane
weight.

The aircraft actual climb gradient (gross gradient) at the net level off altitude will be 1.1%,
1.4% or 1.6%. The net gradient is the gross gradient subtracted by 1.1%, 1.4% or 1.6%.
Obviously, the net gradient is zero at the net level off altitude, and the gross gradient is
zero at the gross level off altitude.

Regulations (FAR 121.191/JAR-OPS 1.500) require that the airplane be able to clear all
terrain by a given margin when an engine fails. Two means of compliance for en-route
obstacle clearance are allowed:
• The net level-off altitude must clear all en-route obstacles by at least 1000 ft; or
• The net flight path must clear all en-route obstacles from the point where the
engine is assumed to fail to an airport where a landing can be made by at least
2000 ft.

July, 2007 3
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY
 FLIGHT OPERATIONS
ENGINEERING COURSE

2. EN-ROUTE OBSTACLE ACCOUNTABILITY AREA

All terrain and obstructions along the route within 9.3 Km (5 NM) on either side of the
intended track must be considered when doing an en-route obstacle analysis (JAR-OPS
1.500). The FAA considers a lateral margin of 5 statute miles (FAR 121.191a(1)).
Alternatively, the published minimum flight altitudes (Minimum En-Route Altitude, MEA, or
Minimum Off Route Altitude, MORA) may be used (JAR IEM OPS 1.250). MEA and
MORA normally already provide the required 2000 ft obstacle clearance for driftdown,
however, at and below 6000 ft altitude, MEA and MORA cannot be used directly as only
1000 ft is ensured.

3. USING THE DRIFTDOWN CURVE TO DEFINE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

Prior to departure a detailed analysis of the route should be made using contour maps of
the high terrain and plotting the highest points within the prescribed corridor's width along
the route (or, alternatively, using MEA or MORA as described above). The next step is to
determine if it is possible to maintain level flight with one engine inoperative 1000 ft above
the highest point of the crossing. If this is not possible, or if the associated weight
penalties are unacceptable, a driftdown procedure should be worked out, based on engine
failure at the most critical point and clearing critical obstacles during the driftdown by at
least 2000 ft. The minimum cruise altitude and the point of no return (PNR) are
determined by the intersection of the two driftdown paths (JAR-OPS 1.500).
If an engine failure occurs after the PNR, the airplane will drift down on course. If the
failure occurs before PNR, the airplane will have to turn back. In either flight direction the
net flight path must clear the obstacles by 2000 ft.
Suppose that you are starting operation along a route that overflies the following terrain
profile:

FLIGHT DIRECTION

The first step is to calculate the driftdown net path. There will be two paths: one
considering the wind component for a driftdown along the initial component flight direction,
and another considering the wind component for a turn back and driftdown in opposite
flight direction.

NET DRIFTDOWN PATH

2000 FT BELOW NET

DRIIFTDOWN PATH

July, 2007 4
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY
 FLIGHT OPERATIONS
ENGINEERING COURSE

The idea is to combine the driftdown curve with the terrain profile.
A

2000 FT

The point where the dashed line touches the terrain is the earliest point (A) along the route
where the pilot can elect to proceed ahead. Continuing ahead anywhere before this point
would result in the aircraft passing too close to the terrain or even flying into it.

Now, the procedure is repeated but this time using the opposite direction driftdown curves,
and starting with the curves at left of the terrain profile. Moving the curves to the right until
the dashed curve touches the terrain profile. This represents the latest point (B) along the
route where the pilot can elect to do a 180-degree turn and return:
B

The altitude at which the solid lines cross each other is the minimum flight altitude, and the
crossing point defines the point of no return (PNR).

If an engine failure occurs before the PNR, the pilot must perform a 180 degrees turn and
do the driftdown in a direction opposite to the original flight. If the engine fails after the
PNR, the driftdown must be done along the original flight direction.

Flight in altitudes lower than the minimum flight altitude is not permitted because the
minimum terrain clearance would not be guaranteed.
PNR
Minimum Altitude

July, 2007 5
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY
 FLIGHT OPERATIONS
ENGINEERING COURSE

4. DEPARTURE OR DESTINATION AIRPORT CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAINS

If the departure airport is close to the mountains that require driftdown analysis, it is not
necessary to climb to the minimum cruise altitude before starting the obstacle crossing. In
this case, it is preferable to just verify if the all engines gross climb profile is always above
the opposite flight direction driftdown path when crossing starts. A climbing pattern above
the departure airport is necessary up to the point where the all engines gross climb profile
crosses the net driftdown path.
PNR
Minimum Altitude

All engines gross

climb path without
adequate obstacle
clearance

Departure Airport

PNR
Minimum Altitude

Climb pattern to allow

all engines gross
climb path to reach
the driftdown curve
before crossing the
obstacles.

Departure Airport

A similar analysis can be done if the destination airport is located close to the mountains.
In this case, the top of descent (TOD) point must be delayed until it can be guaranteed
that the all engines gross descent profile will be above the net driftdown path.

July, 2007 6
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY
 FLIGHT OPERATIONS
ENGINEERING COURSE

5. INTERMEDIATE ALTERNATE AIRPORT

Sometimes the large quantity of obstacles along the route may result in unacceptable
weight penalties, high minimum cruise altitudes or impossibility of PNR determination. In
this case, the existence of an intermediary alternate airport allows the construction of a
double driftdown path, minimizing the penalties.

PNR Minimum Altitude

PNR 2 Minimum Altitude 2

Minimum Altitude 1 PNR 1

Alternate
Airport
When an intermediate alternate airport is used, two PNR's and two minimum altitudes are
defined, each one to be used in its associated route segment.

6. TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENTS TO AIRCRAFT PRESSURE ALTITUDE

The driftdown tables published by aircraft manufacturers typically show driftdown paths
and level off information in terms of pressure altitude. As explained about Geometric
(True) Altitude Variation with ISA, the pressure altitude may not correspond to the actual
height of the aircraft.
When performing driftdown analysis, it is important to convert the obstacles heights to
pressure altitude before comparing it to the net flight path. This is especially important on
cold days, when the pressure altitude is higher than the actual height of the aircraft.

July, 2007 7
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY
 FLIGHT OPERATIONS
ENGINEERING COURSE

THIS PAGE IS LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY

July, 2007 8
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY