System and Equipment Malfunctions

OBJECTIVE
  • To develop the pilot’s accuracy, judgment, planning, technique, and confidence in dealing with systems emergencies and malfunctions. 
ELEMENTS
  • Recommended pilot action for:
  • Smoke, fire, or both, during ground or flight operations 
  • Rough running engine or partial power loss 
  • Loss of engine oil pressure 
  • Fuel starvation 
  • Engine overheat 
  • Hydraulic malfunction 
  • Electrical malfunction 
  • Carburetor or induction icing 
  • Door or window opening in flight 
  • Inoperative or “runaway” trim 
  • Landing gear or flap malfunction 
  • Pressurization malfunction 

COMPLETION STANDARDS
  • Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to system and equipment malfunctions appropriate to the airplane provided for the practical test 
  • Analyzes the situation and takes appropriate action for simulated emergencies appropriate to the airplane provided for the practical test for the following: 
  • Partial or complete power loss 
  • Engine roughness or overheat 
  • Carburetor or induction icing 
  • Loss of oil pressure 
  • Fuel starvation
  • Electrical malfunction 
  • Vacuum/pressure, and associated flight instruments malfunction 
  • Pitot/static 
  • Landing gear or flap malfunction 
  • Inoperative trim 
  • Inadvertent door or window opening 
  • Structural icing 
  • Smoke/fire/engine compartment fire 
  • Any other emergency appropriate to the airplane 
  • Follows the appropriate checklist or procedure 
COMMON ERRORS
  • Failure to recognize the urgent versus non-urgent versus emergency situations 
  • Failure to use emergency checklist for situation 
  • Failure to maintain appropriate configuration and airspeed 
  • Poor orientation, planning, and division of attention 
  • Failure to continue to fly the airplane, then deal with the problem 

THINGS TO REMEMBER
  • If something breaks, will something else be affected by it? 
  • What caused the failure? Is it something simple or something about to become catastrophic?
  • Where there is smoke, assume there is fire, land NOW. 
  • 91.3 allows the pilot to break FAA regulations as needed to meet the emergency 
  • Post-incident/accident investigation process 
  • Land as soon as POSSIBLE vs. PRACTICAL. "Possible" is generally understood to be off-airport while "practical" is understood to be at the next suitable airport. However, 91.3 gives the pilot the ultimate authority and responsibility for the safety of that flight and to allow the pilot to make the decision and to do what is necessary to have an in-flight event conclude successfully. If the event was self-caused, there might be repercussions, but "tis better to be tried by twelve than carried by six.” 

STUDY
  • POH/AFM 
  • “Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge” Ch. 6 
  • “Airplane Flying Handbook” Ch. 16 
  • “Aeronautical Information Manual” Ch. 6