The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released a video warning pilots about the dangers of partial power loss in single-engined aeroplanes.
Remarkably, ATSB records show that between 2000 and 2010, nine people died as a result of a response to a partial power loss soon after take-off. For the same period, there were no fatal accidents where the engine initially completely failed.
ATSB research manager Dr Stuart Godley said the high number of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from partial power loss should be of concern to both pilots and flying instructors.
“Historically, the simulated total loss of power and subsequent practice forced landing has been the core of a pilot’s emergency training,” he said. “However, our accident data shows that for single engine aircraft, a partial power loss during and after take-off is three times more likely to occur than a complete engine failure.”
Godly further stated that while partial power loss can be more challenging to manage due to the number of choices and decisions confronting the pilot, the lack of training, coupled with the lack of pilot preparation and planning may also help explain the fatality rate.
“Total engine failure after take-off is part of the Day VFR syllabus and is taught and practiced throughout a pilot’s initial training. However, partial power loss after take-off is not a practiced syllabus item and probably does not receive the same emphasis during training."
The video can be found on the ATSB You Tube channel.