The most important rule to remember in the event of a power failure after becoming airborne is to

The most important rule to remember in the event of a power failure after becoming airborne is to

• A. Immediately establish a proper gliding attitude and airspeed
• B. Pitch up sharply to gain altitude
• C. Maintain current attitude and retry power
• D. Descend as quickly as possible

Answer: (A)

In an engine failure after takeoff, the priority is to stay in controlled flight long enough to reach a safe landing area. The most important action is to immediately establish the proper gliding attitude and airspeed. This means smoothly adjusting the pitch to reach the aircraft’s best glide speed and keeping the wings level with coordinated control inputs. At this speed, you maximize the distance you can travel forward for the altitude you have, giving you more options to pick a suitable place to land and reducing the risk of stalling. Pitching up sharply would slow you down and raise the stall risk, which near the ground could be catastrophic. Trying to hold the same attitude and retry power assumes power will come back or that you’ll somehow regain enough performance, which may not be possible and wastes precious time. Descending as quickly as possible sacrifices airspeed control and greatly reduces your ability to reach a safe landing site while avoiding obstacles. So the best course is to set a stable, energy-efficient glide by achieving the proper attitude and best glide airspeed, then manage the descent toward a chosen landing area.

In an engine failure after takeoff, the priority is to stay in controlled flight long enough to reach a safe landing area. The most important action is to immediately establish the proper gliding attitude and airspeed. This means smoothly adjusting the pitch to reach the aircraft’s best glide speed and keeping the wings level with coordinated control inputs. At this speed, you maximize the distance you can travel forward for the altitude you have, giving you more options to pick a suitable place to land and reducing the risk of stalling.

Pitching up sharply would slow you down and raise the stall risk, which near the ground could be catastrophic. Trying to hold the same attitude and retry power assumes power will come back or that you’ll somehow regain enough performance, which may not be possible and wastes precious time. Descending as quickly as possible sacrifices airspeed control and greatly reduces your ability to reach a safe landing site while avoiding obstacles.

So the best course is to set a stable, energy-efficient glide by achieving the proper attitude and best glide airspeed, then manage the descent toward a chosen landing area.