e

C-130 Engine-Out Landings

Think about it BEFORE it happens.

A nyone
the Hercwho
is believes
a routineaaffair,
three-engine
start questioning
ianding iii
your perception! Engine-out landings are emergency
procedures; we practice them that way; they’re fia the
emergency procedures chapter; and werst of ali,
crews have crashed airpianes doing them!!
The most serious scenario is two engines out ou
the left side, outboard windmillfng on NTS, ianding
ou a short runway, at night, in weather at minirnums.
From this nightmare the situation can inaprove to a
much less homicidal situation of a singie inboard
feathered, landing te a 12,000 ft-pius runway ou a
coei, sunny day. Worse only gets better, but never
( “ecomes good. the goal is to stop the airpiane safeiy
Naturally, -

ou the runway CENTERLINE. Getting dose to this

goal equates to survival. Several aerodynamic and
envirenmentaj factors affect aircraft centrei; iii some
cases, fuil use of ali flight ceutrois is required te
maintain runway centerline during rollout and
stepping. We’Il examine each of the flight contreis
and review how te use them te maintain runway
centerline and minirnize ianding greund reli.
In consideriug each centrei surface, we’ll assume
a ne-wind er runway-aligned wind conditien.
Cresswinds change the eptimum centrei inputs iii an
amount tetaliy dependent upon angle and veiocity.
Rernember this—the airpiane will tend te weather.
vane flato the cresswind because of the wiud’s affect
eu the vertical stabilizer (Figure 1). This tendency,
coupied with asymrnetric reverse, can create a severe
swerve. Be prepared, and if possibie, choose a runway
‘here cresswiud can be used te ceunter this
uendency.
Use rudders as necessary te maintain centerline
througheut the ianding. Rudder trina, on the other required te maintain centerline. This rudder input is
hand, poses a unique problem. During cruise and needed only because an unnecessasy trina setting is
approach, it’s very likeiy you’li use a large amount present. During reversai, this trina setting has a
of trina te assist in maintaiuing balanced flight cine different effect. As the operating engines are brought
te high power settings. Twe engines eut ou the sarne flato reverse, the trina directiy opposes the rudder
side may require fuil trina (Figure 2). This trim inputs necessary te maintain centerline (Figure 4).
setting, sustained and present during flare and This has both a positive and negative resuit. On the
teuchdown, wili eventually beceme adverse trina. negative side, more force is required en the rudder
When eperating engines are at zere or near-zere in order te get fuil centrei surface threw. Ou the
thrust, trina is no ionger necessary since there is new bright side, the rudder is slightly more effective since
an essentiafly symrnetric power reiatiouship among there’s more rudder surface exposed te the airstream.
ali engines. Yeu shouid use trina to assist required centrei
Any trina setting will produce a yawing moment surface inputs, but insure zero rudder trina befere
(Figure 3). A rudder input frem the piiet til be flare and teuchdown for engine-eut landings. II the

Aísúüst 1988 7

— ~.— —.-.—-—.—-.-----—-. ——-----~-—--

 pilot at the controis has been triniming throug
the approach, while gradua]Iy reducing power,
flgur. 4 will already be near zero. .Pilots at the controls sho,
uerify rudder trim zero prior to crossing the threshc
and commencing a fiare in arder to use rudder an.
trim to best aduantage.
Ailerons should be used during engine-out ~
landings to equalize lift on the wings ia the Ianding ‘~
rollout engine reversal. Assuming a no-wind or
aligned headwind condition, an asymmetric lift
conclition til be present if the ailerons are left neutral
when bringing engines into reverse.
InaC43O, 60% of the wing’s lift is provided by
propeiler thrust at maximum power; therefore.
reversing thrust til spoil a significant amount of the
wings’ lift. Airflow across the left wing during
landing roilout engine reversal is disturbed by reverse
thrust on engines 1 and 2 (Figure 5). No reverse
thrust is present on 3 and 4, and the airflow is cleaner,
causing the right wing to produce a lift vector of
greater magnitude (Figure 6).
Think of your airplane as a tripod on wheels. If
this tripod is rouing straight and you lift one of the
Figurt 6
rear wheels, the tripod wiil swerve. With 3 and 4
feathered, the airplane will try to swerve left due to
asymmetric ilft vectors. Alierons can be used to
reduce these ilft vectors and reduce the tendency to
swerve. As engines are reversed, fuil aileron toward
the feathered engines will increase the lift on the left
wing (down aileron) and decrease lift on right wing
(up aileron) as shown in Figure 7. A near-equal lift
condition now exists, reducing swerve tendency. The
need for this aileron correction wiil decrease as
airspeed is reduced and control surface effectiveness
diminishes.
Elevators can be used to assist your rudders.
Again, imagine the tripod on wheels. If the tripod is
rolling with pressure on the nosewheel, steering
Figur. 6 inputs til be more effective. If there’s no pressure
forward, or if there’s an uplifting force on tht -

nosewheel, a tendency for nosewheel skid exists. As

engines are reversed, forward yoke pressure til
cause rudder inputs to be more effective. As the
throttles are brought into reverse, a degree of for
ward yoke pressure wiil assist any rudder input. As
airspeed is reduced, more elevator can be added, to
fui! throw, as the airplane slows to taxi speed.
Figur. 7
Feel more comfortable? Let’s not be too hasty!
Your preparation shouldn’t end here or with the Dash
One. Talk to other piots. Correct control surfaces
application is critica!, but even more critica! is the
human moving them—you. Don’t wait until things
are quiet on final before you decide to improue your
knowledge of this subjectt
Adapted From: App,oach

8 TMF

~‘Teàhniquesto Consider
There are many procedureà Lo
foflow alter au in-flighL engine shut
down. They’re aU listed ia several
differeut places rauging under four or
five different headings ira Chapters 2,
3, 5, and 9 ia Lhe Dash One Chapters
2,3,5, and others tu Lhe 55 series MAC
regs; and other places. BuL as is the
curse of our profession, sometimes we,
too easily, Lend Lo compartmentalize
everything we need Lo do in checklist
formaL and omit phllosophical Lhought
or understanding of what it is we’re
reaily Lrying todo. Such is Lhe case ira
engine-out operation. We’ve pooled
some Lhoughts ou Lhis subject, and Lhe
following, by no means complete, list
of “oLhe?’ considerations is Lhe resuit:
• Fuel Management. A step ia Lhe
engineer’s Cleanup Checklist requires
isolating Lhe main tank feeding Lhe
failed engine. Give iL some thought
and you’ll agree; however, once Lhings
seLLle down, you’d better get LhaL hei
back haLo Lhe management system Lo
prevent au atrocious imbalance. We all
know we never Lake ou wiLh a main
boost pump inoperative, but we also
know we’ve had Lhem fali in ffight.
WhaL if Lhe failed boost puxnp resides
over Lhe failed engine? Gravity feed is
no louger a player, fuel imbalance is.
Other wrenches ira Lhis system are
myriad combinations of failed
quantity gauges. Caging Lhe prop has
Lo key your thinking along these tines.
• Range. Tu conjunction with Lhe
above, alter Lhe engine’s gone, better
get Lhe One Dash One out. There are
a couple figures we need Lo know.
Will you have euough hei Lo
make iL to destinatiou?
• •• WhaL is two-engine driftdown
speed and ceiling? Rexuember, you had
iL for three-engine operaLion when you
were a four-engine airplane, now you
are a “Lhree-engine” airplane. The next
contingency has Lo shift Lo Lwo-engine
operations.
Chances are good your Equal
Time Point has changed. Again,
recompute.
August 1988
• What systems have you Iost? In
- ou Lhe rimway or sinlãng iii Lhe mud$t~
Lhe case of one engine out, you’ve IosL,
aL a minhnum, a generator and
hydraulic pump. If iL’s number 1 or 2,
configuring will Lake longer. Is
electrical draw reducLion a player?
Landing. Eventuallyr, you’U want Lo
give Lhis hunk of metal baclc Lo Lhe
mainLainers. tu fact, your plan
probably includes hoLh your crew and
craft being in one piece. Now’s Lhe
time Lo consider Lhis facLor. Tu
selecting a lancling site, Lhe destinaLion
may not always be Lhe best choice.
We’ve already discussed Mel consider
ations; here we’ll address crosswinds,
fuel dumping, conflguration, reversing
technique, and instrument condiLions.
Crosswinds. The feature
articie explains Lhis consideration ira
deLail. However, iL’s important Lo
mention iL again as iL will be a major
facLor in runway selection. Granted, in
some circumstances, you may not
have Lhis luxury. Remember, Lhe piLot
Lube will face Lhe crosswind.
Fuel Dumping. Don’L be
spring loaded Lo Lhe dump position.
Sometimes, Lhe Lime involved may not
be worLh Lhe effort when iL precludes
a safe, expeditious return landing. Ou
Lhe oLher hand, be prepared Lo dump
some lii a hurry il Lhe need arises.
Configuration. You’re
probably most familiar wiLh Lhe
picture of a 100% flap landing. If
possible, nevar compound emergencies
by doing Lhings differently when you
don’t have to. ConLemplaLe and
conclude your own definition of
“landing is assured.” You’ve ali
practiced two-engine, no-flaps, and
have seen Lhe runway markers
whizzing by ira excess of 100 knoLs.
Remember Lhat picture when you
choose configuraLion.
Reversing technique. Ou rare
occasions you’ll need ali Lhree engines
reversed, normally you won’t. Read
carefully Lhe section ou Lhis subjecL ia
Lhe feaLure article. Plan Lhis acL! IL’ll
make Lhe differenee beLween stopping
—
- ~ ~ ~ :y’~~$
-
t InstrumentcondjtionaWesli z~t
how Lhe Herc wffl fiy Lbree-engine -
instrumenLs as well as iL files visual
BuL why execute au approach Lo a4.
m{nirnums and risk ara insti-ument
missed approachlthree-engine go
around. If you have Lo divert a great
distance ira Lhe oLher direcLion Lo find
VMC, iL may well be worth iL.
• What else has failed? Hardly a
mission goes 1»’ where you haven’t
earned your aircraft commander’s pay
by deciding Lo fly without something.
MosL of Lhe Lime, you do just fine.
However, alter Lhe excitemeut of
caging au engine. your Lhought
direction, and rightfuliy 50, goes inLo
this pressing problem. Whatever you
do. maintain total situational
awareness. WhaL problem &d you Lake
off wiLh or what are you now fiying
wiLhout? Is number 3 ia mechanical
due Lo a prop flui Lhat’s getting
worse? Have we ali been waLching
number 2 because it’s losing oil? What
did you shut down for? Cara you
feasibly restart that engine and liter
alIy flue wiLh iL unLil rollout? Don’t
omit this lifesaving option.
In summary. and LhaL’s ali we cara
do because Lhis list is far Leo involved
Lo ever list ali considerations, there’s
a loL Lo Lhink about and pIara for
wheuever Lhe mighty Hercules
becomes crippled.
This hunable aLtempt at thought
provocaLion wasn’t assembled Lo incite
argumenLaLive response. Instead, we
sincerely hope you’ll use iL Lo develop
your own LhoughL paLterns. Oue final
word, read Lhe entire Emergeucy
Engine Shutdown procedure, you’ll
find Lhat II you experienced Lhe most
extreme caLastrophic emergency
during any sLage of flighL, Lhis check
lisL, by itselL is enough Lo configure
Lhe airplane for a SAFE landing, wiLh
ouL Lhe use of eiLher Lhe Descent or
Before Landing checklisLs. One more
good reasou for a solid backup plan
and thorough crew briefing.
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