And you thought your work day was bad...

I've decided to try and write more often about my job.  I know I have an interesting job but it seems such a mystery to people on the outside.  Since I was involuntarily transferred to JFK airport in New York, I have not been flying nearly as much.  I did get quite a bit more flight time this month than I did in July, though.

A few weeks ago, I was coming in on an approach to Memphis.  It was my turn to fly the leg and everything was running smoothly.  The weather was not perfect, but was manageable, so I was flying an ILS approach, which consists of using electronic navigation to follow a pair of needles to get to a point where you are close enough to the runway to actually see it and land.  We broke out of the clouds at the legal minimum height (200' above the ground) just in time to see a FedEx plane getting on the runway in front of us.  Not wanting to make the national news, I executed a go-around.  This is a maneuver we train for regularly so it was not a problem... at first.  I advanced the thrust levers to get the power we needed to climb again and pressed the TOGA (take-off/go-around) buttons which provided me with electronic guidance to keep me on the published missed approach path.  All airports have a pre-determined and published path to keep us from flying into buildings, mountains or other aircraft in the event we have to go around, so it is critical to maintain this path. 

We climbed back up into the clouds and I was again completely dependent upon my instruments for guidance.  As I had the captain retract the flaps and landing gear to allow for better climb performance, I noticed the airplane start to drift to the left.  Normally, airplanes like to go straight.  It takes something acting upon the airplane to make it turn, and a yawing turn (like when you turn in your car) is especially unnatural.  This was a yawing turn to the left.  I used the rudder to counteract the turning that was going on so as to stay on the missed approach course, then a quick review of the engine instruments made the cause of the turning clear...

THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SPOOLING DOWN.

This is bad.  This is what we, in the aviation industry, like to call an emergency.  The vast majority of jets operating as revenue airlines utilize two engines, so the loss of one does not mean you are doomed, but it does make the job of the pilots a LOT harder.  Imagine if you are driving and suddenly your transmission stops sending torque to the left wheel.  You probably could drive, but it would be a lot harder.  Unfortunately, you can't stop a jet.

This is another thing that we train for regularly.  So, using the right rudder and other controls I kept the plane under control.  We have to memorize the first few steps of our procedure in the event of an engine failure, so I started to recite the steps so that the captain would perform them.  "Number one thrust lever," I said.  The captain then put his hand on the #1 thrust lever and repeated, "Number one thrust lever."  I then said "Idle." The captain then said "Idle" and slowly brought the thrust lever for the #1 engine (left engine) back to the idle position.  We used the same dialogue to turn off the engine power and pull the fire handle.  This procedure is designed to be used in the event of a failure or fire in the engine and cuts off all fuel, oil, hydraulic supply and air going to or coming from the engine.  After letting the air traffic controllers know we had an emergency and requesting some space, the captain pulled out the manual and began following the procedure for diagnosing and fixing a failed engine while I focused on keeping the airplane under control.

Long story short, we could not restart the engine and chose to go back to Memphis to land again.  We turned around and, with air traffic control's help, got the airplane aligned with the proper runway again.  The weather was still not great so we were going to need to fly another ILS approach through the clouds to get down to the airport.  I have not felt so much pressure on me to perform in my life.  We began the descent.  Things get particularly tricky doing an approach to a landing with only one engine in a two engine aircraft. 

When your only engine that is producing thrust is off to one side, it generates a yawing (turning) tendency.  This tendency can be neutralized by adjusting the rudder and with an extra control we call trim (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim_tab for more info if you're curious).  Once the adjustments are made, flying on that single engine becomes very much like having both engines running, although the airplane is much more lethargic.  This is only true, though, as long as the power coming from said engine remains the same.  To get the airplane to safely descend to, approach, and land at an airport, it needs to slow down drastically, which requires large power changes.  It becomes a very delicate dance with the rudder and engine power to keep it under control when you have just one engine and are slowing down, extending flaps and landing gear, and descending.  When you are in that position, it is amazing how focused you can become.  The human mind can block out everything except what it needs to perform a job properly, if the stakes are high enough.

Finally, the aircraft broke out of the clouds and we were in line to land.  I was not at all concerned about making a smooth, soft touchdown.  This was a time to just get the plane firmly on the ground and stopped, as soon as possible.  After a jolting landing and hard deceleration, the aircraft came to a stop.  

Then the instructor behind me patted me on the shoulder, said "Good job, Mark," and the screen went blank.  We were, in fact, not in Memphis but were in Fort Worth, inside a simulator and I had just completed my probationary check ride.  There were no lives at stake, just my job.

As a first officer, I will be forced to relive this scenario at least once a year for recurrent training and proficiency checks.  I had been through it when I was initially qualified to fly the airplane and will go through it again and again.  We practice these things over and over again so that, if we are unlucky enough to have it happen to us in real life, we are prepared for the worst.  I also had to perform a set of stall recoveries, an encounter with severe wind shear, and a V1 cut, which is when the engine fails at the worst possible time during takeoff.  This involves it quitting suddenly at the point where we no longer have enough runway left to safely stop the aircraft and are forced to take off with a failed engine, including the reduced power and turning tendency.  It is also very tricky but, with the proper training, a completely survivable event.  As a captain, I will have to do all of this twice a year.

I love my job.  I understand the risks that go along with flying.  Fortunately, US airlines have the training and equipment in place to keep people safe.  This was obviously a simulated event, but in the course of my trips I have had things happen and stories to tell, and I will try and share more of these stories with you all.