Single pilot flight in mountainous terrain the biggest concern I have is being able to clear the mountains. With a high weight and high density altitude performance will be a key factor. Calculating accelerate go distance / accelerate stop distance and landing performance just in case
an engine failure happens will be part of the preflight actions I would take. The headwind component isn’t great but if I have been waiting for a while and this has been the best option then
trying to compensate for a high than standard day will also need to factor into my performance calculations. I think a lot of this part deals with proper preflight action, using the graphs and calculations within the AFM will be a key component. An aft CG will give me better climb performance because I will need less trim and less control pressure than I would if I had a forward CG. But I will be sacrificing control. 5 miles to climb is not a lot of time to get over mountainous terrain, I would prefer to circle over the airport until I gained sufficient altitude based on charts to get over the mountains without any questions about my altitude. The FAA document flying light twins safely states that climbing to 400 ft AGL prior to making any turns is key because gaining altitude with an engine inoperative gives you more options. With a runway that short I would have no runway remaining to land back on. In the preflight briefing I would have made a decision at this altitude to feather the prop and continue with the headwind to gain climb performance as much as I could. I would need to declare an emergency to the tower or CTAF as applicable, and line up with the runway of departure after gaining sufficient altitude. At 100 ft AGL with very limited options, I would prefer to find a solution on the ground rather than being in the air. But depending on performance I may have the ability to fix the engine. But my preference would be to feather and land at the airport I just departed. There is a checklist in the AFM regarding engine failure during takeoff above 75 KIAS, Pg 73. If
gear is in transit or up, and continuing the flight is the decision, pilots should be aware of the OEI climb performance chart figure 5-21. Follow the remaining procedure on the checklist. I don’t want to land outside of the airport, unless that is absolutely necessary. But the scenario says
that there is flat areas surrounding so this is an option if density altitude and climb performance are not sufficient for me to gain altitude and return to the airport. Steps:
Verify Full power / clean up. Bank towards operating engine reducing sideslip, pitch for VY. Depending on performance and climb rate I may choose to troubleshoot / fix the engine.
Feather the inoperative propeller. Declare emergency. Maintain VY until a safe altitude is reached, or land outside the airfield boundary. Return to departure runway so that I can turn incrementally, and line up with a headwind. Before landing check. Land as normal as possible.
Proper preflight and route considerations are vital for any flight and even more so when going through mountainous terrain. Having a predetermined plan set for what happens in an emergency
limits the amount of thinking you have to do. Execute the plan as predetermined unless there are other unforeseen issues which need to be addressed. I would follow these steps because they
