Emergency Landing Pattern

T-6A CONTACT

CHAPTER SEVEN

701.

EMERGENCY LANDING PATTERN

The ELP is a 360 overhead pattern designed to position the aircraft for landing when the

possibility of a power loss exists or no power is available. Hence, the ELP is utilized for both

actual and simulated PEL and actual and simulated Forced Landings. If altitude permits,

intercept the ELP at 3000 feet AGL (2500 feet AGL minimum per NATOPS). ELPs should only

be flown to prepared fields, as ejection is strongly preferred over forced landings into unprepared

terrain. Furthermore, it is quite acceptable under certain scenarios to intercept and continue the

ELP from somewhere below high key, if necessary.

If excess altitude exists during the glide to high key, the three most common methods to lose

altitude are bow ties, S-turns, and slips. Any one or all of these methods may be used in one

evolution while gliding to high key. Lowering the gear is also an acceptable method to increase

your decent rate to high key; however, plan the decent profile accordingly since with an engine

failure in the T-6A, once the gear is down, it cannot be raised.

Bow ties are essentially a continuous set of mild turns in the shape of a bow tie flown

approximately WTD away and on the downwind side of the landing field. With each bow tie,

you should attempt to keep the landing runway in sight. Bow ties are not precise maneuvers and

different techniques exist on how to fly them. Your instructor will provide guidance; however, a

good technique is to depart the bow ties for high key at least 1000 feet above high key altitude.

S-turns are used to effect a milder altitude loss and may be specifically used to make controlled

corrections while proceeding direct to high key. Designed to increase the actual track over the

ground, S-turns are simply lazy turns back and forth deviating from a straight-line ground track

in order to provide more time to descend.

Lastly, the slip is a faster method than the other two to effect a controlled altitude loss. As

explained in Chapter Three, the slip is uncoordinated flight where the airplane slides sideways

toward the center of the turn. This is purposely accomplished by lowering one wing and applying

opposite rudder (remember "wing down, top rudder").

NOTES

1. SNFO/SWSOs will not be at the controls once the aircraft

reaches high key in the ELP. The student will inform the IP of the

ELP check points and ensure the aircraft is on profile.

2. Refer to the Voice Communications Study Guide for radio

calls in the ELP.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

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