DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

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Boatguy
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by Boatguy »

The last IFR Magazine issue had an exercise on exactly this scenario. I tried it on my Redbird simulator this afternoon, it only took me about 5 tries to successfully land with a 200' ceiling. The successful solution was using FLC/HDG to take the plane down at best glide, and intercepting the ILS between the FAF and MAP to get lateral runway alignment. The GS is useless as I was descending far steeper than the usual 3˚ GS, but the lateral alignment from the ILS was the key. Being on the localizer ensured I was lined up while still in IMC. I did the mental calculations of sink rate and distance to the MAP and used the flaps to manage energy, and then once the runway was in sight I made some adjustments to get onto the runway. Not quite "on the numbers", but on the runway which is all that mattered.

OK, it's only a simulator, but I think the key point was getting runway alignment from the ILS, or really any other instrument approach. Once you break out it's possible to manage the energy with flaps, pitch, etc. to get onto the runway. The goal is just to land on the runway.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by pilot_jon »

Boatguy wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:18 am The last IFR Magazine issue had an exercise on exactly this scenario. I tried it on my Redbird simulator this afternoon, it only took me about 5 tries to successfully land with a 200' ceiling. The successful solution was using FLC/HDG to take the plane down at best glide, and intercepting the ILS between the FAF and MAP to get lateral runway alignment. The GS is useless as I was descending far steeper than the usual 3˚ GS, but the lateral alignment from the ILS was the key. Being on the localizer ensured I was lined up while still in IMC. I did the mental calculations of sink rate and distance to the MAP and used the flaps to manage energy, and then once the runway was in sight I made some adjustments to get onto the runway. Not quite "on the numbers", but on the runway which is all that mattered.

OK, it's only a simulator, but I think the key point was getting runway alignment from the ILS, or really any other instrument approach. Once you break out it's possible to manage the energy with flaps, pitch, etc. to get onto the runway. The goal is just to land on the runway.
https://www.ifr-magazine.com/charts-pla ... the-movie/ for anyone who is interested in giving it a try.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by Soareyes »

Boatguy wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:18 am I tried it on my Redbird simulator this afternoon, it only took me about 5 tries to successfully land with a 200' ceiling.
So, a 20% chance of success the first time we try.

Do you hesitate to fly over the top of low IFR when it is hundreds of miles in every direction? I used to do it in my DA40. More confidently though with a parachute or a second engine. My plan back then was to head for a lake if I couldn't reach a big runway. Water vs. trees.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by Boatguy »

Soareyes wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 8:37 pm
Boatguy wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 4:18 am I tried it on my Redbird simulator this afternoon, it only took me about 5 tries to successfully land with a 200' ceiling.
So, a 20% chance of success the first time we try.
I think of it more as a learning curve which is the purpose of the simulator. In real life, if there was an instrument approach, I'd use it for lateral alignment and my own mental calculations of sink rate and distance to the MAP for vertical alignment.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by Colin »

I had a warm cylinder when I took off out of Morristown, NJ a few years back in our DA40. The whole family was on board and the CHT just kept climbing. I was not comfortable with this idea. I declared an emergency and did a u-turn in IMC, flew the downwind (I don't think we had left the airspace yet), popped out on descent in the right base. I would not have accepted an instrument approach. They could call that whatever they want, I was going to get the family on the ground.

It was nice to meet the firemen. A more thorough run-up and I leaned the piece of carbon out of there.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by Boatguy »

Colin wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:24 pmI would not have accepted an instrument approach. They could call that whatever they want, I was going to get the family on the ground.
If you were a little higher and still in VMC, would you use the LOC or RNAV and intercept between the FAF and MAP to ensure you were aligned with the runway?
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by Colin »

ensure you were aligned with the runway?
If I were higher I would have been VMC and I might have let them vector me around for the localizer, but with the moving map and my familiarity with the airport environment fresh in my mind, it didn't make any sense. I had recently gotten the software upgrade on the G1000, the first one that gave you a "noodle," instead of the straight vector on the nose of the plane. So it was really easy to fly downwind, turn base and then turn final lining the noodle up on the extended centerline. The runway was long enough that I knew that even if I didn't break out on the base I'd have plenty of time to find the runway.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by JTMedEd »

I flew this plane with an instructor on the 17th, a week before this incident. (Transition training from a 172.) I texted my instructor to see if he knew what the issue was, and he said they were still investigating but he'd let me know when he found out. Will report back if I receive any details.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by chili4way »

Jeffrey, do you happen to recall about how many Service Hours (or Hobbs hours) were on the plane when you flew it. While it's only a 2019 model, the hours' accumulation in a flight school is much higher than private ownership. Appreciate your sharing what you learn.
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Re: DA40NG Lost Engine in IMC

Post by Shodan01 »

Im truly loving this forum. Smaller number of people but as both a new pilot, and hopefully a new Diamond owner in the next two weeks (N475PS buying from Premier in KFXE) I already have learned a lot. This audio was crazy to listen to with how calm everyone was and the only thing that could make it more educational would be if they had a GoPro out the front!
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