This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
Upon takeoff, I was climbing out and my engine failed at 545 feet msl. I immediately initiated a left hand turn back to the runway. Wind was 230@18G23, so takeoff was easy, but returning to land downwind was challenging my RV-12.
I announced on CTAF “engine failure and returning to land dead-stick runway X.”
I performed a 180° turn, which was successful from about 465 feet agl, but with an airspeed of 65 knots (best glide) and a gusting tailwind, my groundspeed back to land was excessive and contributed to my lack of control on landing.
Having no ability to go around and concerned I would run off the end of the runway, I landed, braked hard, and then received a gust of wind that lifted my right wing and I departed the runway on the left side, striking a taxiway sign and coming to rest just beyond the sign.
It would have been nice to stop about 20 feet sooner, which would have avoided the sign, however the nose wheel was torn from the aircraft.
No injuries occurred.
Primary Problem as determined by an ASRS analyst: Aircraft.
ACN: 1770416
Did what you needed to do as best as you saw fit at the time….in real time. Can’t really “train” for realities.
Considering the wind some spot ahead MI g it have been a better choice.
Think about location and conditions at the time and location before you take the runway.
Yes – that is a critical point to be considered. However, even in the discussions of turnbacks, where the return to the runway is almost assured to be downwind, there are many suggestions on how to make the turn, but little or nothing on how to fly the tailwind back to the runway. In normal training with the instructor, I think there’s a need to include landings with a tailwind for familiarity and decision making (some airports are one-way in), and of course for emergencies where the pilot may not have a choice of landing upwind or downwind.
With a tailwind you won’t likely make the threshold. On a short runway you may land on the last half and run off the end. Trying to force landing on the first few thousand feet can result in a stall and crash.
Chicago Midway offers few good choices. But most airports have lots of clear space mowed grass, not just paved runways.
Think about problems and options when getting weather and planning. Use the Internet to see satellite photos and note ditches, fences and buildings.
Returning to the airport does not demand only runways.
The pilot can declare an emergency to themself. Telling ATCis good, but fly the airplane first.
“On a short runway you may land on the last half and run off the end.” For the average pilot who is attempting a downwind landing for the first time, very well could happen. For a higher skilled pilot, maybe not. There’s some simple training maneuvers that can add a lot to the pilot’s insight and decision making. With an instructor, do some power off 180’s to a longish downwind runway when possible. Pretend though that the runway is only 2000ft long – it doesn’t have to be the first 2000ft but a portion in the middle of the runway. As you know, the pilot will see right away what it would take to control descent angle and airspeed, and where a touchdown would likely take place and what the rollout would be from how things are going on the final segment without even completing the descent and landing. There’s much more to the turnback and the landing, but just this simple training session would add a lot to the pilot’s judgement of pre-flight planning per your original point.