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Emergency Procedures

These procedures are derived from the efis-editor checklist file. Update the source JSON and regenerate to modify.

Engine Failures

System32 Restore Function

Run any time the engine is rough, faltering, or has quit.

  • ECU Select … OPPOSITE ECU

    shifts fuel control to the other ECU; sensors are independent

  • Fuel Selector … OTHER TANK / VERIFY ON

  • Fuel Pump Breakers … BOTH IN

  • Fuel Pump Mode … 2

  • Fuel Trim … ADJUST

    if engine firing but rough — try richer (CW) then leaner

  • Emergency Power Switch … ON

    bypasses Bus Manager

Engine Failure During Takeoff Run

  • Throttle … IDLE
  • Brakes … APPLY
  • Stop … STRAIGHT AHEAD
  • Wing Flaps … RETRACT
  • Fuel Selector … OFF
  • Key Switch … OFF
  • Master Switch … OFF

Engine Failure Immediately After Takeoff

Pitch … ONSPEED

Landing Spot … WITHIN ±30º

above turnback altitude / per TLAR — see Turnback Procedure

  • ECU Select … OPPOSITE ECU

    one shot — if no restart, commit to landing

  • Fuel Selector … OFF

  • Key Switch … OFF

  • Master Switch … OFF

  • Wing Flaps … AS REQUIRED

    33º on short final

  • Doors … UNLATCH PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN

Engine Failure In Flight

Airspeed … BEST GLIDE 95 KIAS

NRST Button … HOLD / AP ENGAGE

AP flies to nearest field at best glide; tunes comms

Best Field … DECIDE

is the nearest field actually best? terrain, wind, surface

  • System32 Restore Function … EXECUTE

    ECU Sel / Fuel Sel / Pump Brkrs / Pump Mode / Fuel Trim / Emerg Pwr

If engine restored:

  • Continue to Nearest Suitable … MONITOR

    do not switch back to test — leave the bad ECU off

If engine not restored:

  • Forced Landing … EXECUTE

    as described in Emergency Landing Without Engine Power

Engine Failure On Approach

Airspeed … ONSPEED

best glide gives more distance, but already configured for landing

Best Surface … LAND

may not be the runway — pick what works

  • ECU Select … OPPOSITE ECU

    if time / altitude permits — one shot

  • Fuel Selector … OFF

  • Key Switch … OFF

  • Doors … UNLATCH PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN

Forced Landings

Emergency Landing Without Engine Power

  • Squawk … 7700

  • Airspeed … BEST GLIDE / ONSPEED

    95 KIAS clean / ONSPEED with flaps

  • Fuel Selector … OFF

  • Key Switch … OFF

    kills ECUs; engine dies clean

  • Wing Flaps … AS REQUIRED — 40º RECOMMENDED

  • Master Switch … OFF

  • Radio Call … MAYDAY 121.5

    time permitting

  • Doors … UNLATCH PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN

  • Touchdown … SLIGHTLY TAIL LOW

  • Brakes … APPLY HEAVILY

Turnback Procedure

Decided on the ground per pre-takeoff brief.

⚠️ WARNING: Below 200 ft AGL, turnback is non-recoverable. Land ahead.

  • Pitch … ONSPEED IMMEDIATELY

    single AOA reference — best blend of turn rate and stall margin

  • Turn Direction … INTO CROSSWIND

    wind drifts you toward centerline during reversal

  • Bank … 45º

    any less wastes altitude; any more loses stall margin

  • Coordinate … BALL CENTERED

    uncoordinated stall is non-recoverable at low altitude

  • On Speed … MAINTAIN TO TOUCHDOWN

Note: If turn not working: WINGS LEVEL, LAND AHEAD AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE.

Don’t stall. Everything else is secondary.

Precautionary Landing With Engine Power

Lowest sustainable energy at touchdown — drag it in with power.

  • Airspeed … ONSPEED
  • Wing Flaps … 16º
  • Selected Field … FLY OVER
  • Terrain And Obstructions … NOTE
  • Wing Flaps (On Final) … 33º
  • Airspeed … SLOW TONE
  • Power … CONTROL DESCENT RATE
  • Avionics Master … OFF
  • Doors … UNLATCH PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN
  • Touchdown … SLIGHTLY TAIL LOW
  • Key Switch … OFF
  • Brakes … APPLY HEAVILY

Ditching

Goal is lowest sustainable energy at touchdown — fly the slow tone.

  • Transmit Mayday … 121.5 MHZ, GIVING LOCATION
  • Squawk … 7700
  • Heavy Objects … SECURE OR JETTISON
  • Flaps … 16º - 33º
  • Power … ESTABLISH 300 FT/MIN DESCENT, SLOW TONE

Approach:

High Winds, Heavy Seas — INTO THE WIND

Light Winds, Heavy Swells — PARALLEL TO SWELLS

  • Cabin Doors … UNLATCH
  • Touchdown … LEVEL ATTITUDE AT ESTABLISHED DESCENT
  • Airplane … EVACUATE
  • Life Vests and Raft … INFLATE

Landing With A Flat Main Tire

  • Approach … NORMAL

  • Wing Flaps … FULL DOWN

  • Touchdown … GOOD TIRE FIRST

    hold airplane off flat tire as long as possible with aileron

Landing Without Elevator Control

  • Airspeed … 80 KIAS

  • Elevator Trim … LEVEL FLIGHT

  • Glide Angle … CONTROL WITH POWER

  • Elevator Trim … FULL NOSE UP

    in flare — rotates to horizontal for touchdown

  • Throttle … CLOSE AT TOUCHDOWN

Fires

Engine Fire During Start On Ground

If engine starts:

  • Throttle … FULL OPEN

    max airflow first; engine still on full fuel

  • Fuel Pump Breakers … PULL BOTH

    engine consumes residual fuel + sucks fire in for 3-5s, then dies

  • Key Switch … OFF

  • Fuel Selector … OFF

  • Doors … UNLATCH

  • Evacuate / Extinguisher … AS REQUIRED

If engine fails to start:

  • Throttle … FULL OPEN

  • Starter … CONTINUE CRANKING

    attempt to clear fuel from intake

  • Fuel Pump Breakers … PULL BOTH

  • Key Switch … OFF

  • Emergency Power Switch … OFF

    Emergency Power independently powers ECUs — both must be off

  • Fuel Selector … OFF

  • Doors … UNLATCH

  • Fire Extinguisher … AS REQUIRED

  • Evacuate … IMMEDIATELY

Engine Fire In Flight

Fuel Selector … OFF

Key Switch … OFF

  • Emergency Power Switch … OFF

  • Master Switch … OFF

    kills any wire-arc source that may be feeding the fire

  • Cabin Heat / Air … OFF

    close firewall vents

  • Airspeed … INCREASE

    slip or dive to blow out fire

  • Forced Landing … EXECUTE IMMEDIATELY

If fire not extinguished:

  • Sideslip … INTO FIRE SIDE

    keep flames away from cabin

  • Land … IMMEDIATELY

Electrical Fire / Smoke In Cockpit

Key Switch … OFF

kills ECUs / fuel pumps / most electrical load

Master Switch … OFF

  • Emergency Power Switch … OFF

Vents / Cabin Air … OPEN

clear smoke

  • Fire Extinguisher … AS REQUIRED
  • Land … AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE

If engine required to reach landing site:

  • Emergency Power Switch … ON

    restores engine power only — non-essential systems stay dead

  • Monitor … FOR RECURRENCE

Note: If smoke returns, Emergency Power → OFF and re-isolate.

Cabin Fire

  • Master Switch … OFF
  • Vents / Cabin Air / Heat … CLOSED
  • Fire Extinguisher … ACTIVATE

⚠️ WARNING: After discharging an extinguisher in a closed cabin, ventilate the cabin.

  • Land … AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
  • Airplane … INSPECT FOR DAMAGE

Wing Fire

  • Navigation Light … OFF
  • Strobe Light … OFF
  • Pitot Heat … OFF

Note: Sideslip to keep flames away from fuel tank and cabin. Land as soon as possible. Flaps only as required for final approach and touchdown.

Electrical / Engine Malfunctions

Primary Alternator (Hartzell) Failure

Symptoms: Bat 1 voltage dropping, alternator amps zero, low-voltage indication.

  • Bat 1 Voltage … CHECK

  • Alternator Field Switch … CYCLE OFF / ON

    one attempt only

If still failed:

  • Non-Essential Loads … REDUCE

    VPX may auto-shed; help it

  • MZ-30 … VERIFY OPERATING

    Bat 2 voltage holding, generator amps positive

  • Plan Diversion … NEAREST SUITABLE

    Bat 1 will eventually drain even with reduced load

If Bat 1 voltage critical:

  • Emergency Power Switch … ON

    moves essential bus to Bat 2 / MZ-30

MZ-30 Generator Failure

Symptoms: Bat 2 voltage dropping, generator amps zero or low.

  • MZ-30 Enable Switch … VERIFY ON

  • Generator Amps … CHECK

    expect 5-30A in normal operation

  • Bat 2 Voltage … MONITOR

If still failed:

  • MZ-30 Enable Switch … OFF

    regulator may have OVP-locked; disable to prevent damage

  • Continue on Hartzell / Bat 1 … FLIGHT NOT AT RISK

    Plan return when convenient — primary system intact

Bus Manager Failure / Switch to Endurance Bus

Symptoms: multiple essential systems unresponsive; primary bus dead.

Emergency Power Switch … ON

bypasses Bus Manager — connects Bat 2 / MZ-30 directly to essential bus

  • Non-Essential Loads … OFF
  • Squawk … 7700
  • Mayday Call … 121.5
  • Land … AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE

⚠️ WARNING: If Emergency Power does not restore essential bus, both systems have failed. No further reversion available — land immediately.

Loss of Oil Pressure

  • Confirm with Secondary Indication … OIL TEMP / NOISE

    if oil temp also rising — engine is losing oil. Likely seizure imminent.

  • Power … REDUCE

    minimize damage; lowest power that maintains flight

  • Best Field … LOCATE

    treat as if engine will seize

  • NRST Button … HOLD

  • Mayday … 121.5 / 7700

Note: Be prepared to execute Forced Landing — engine may quit at any time.

High Oil Temperature

  • If Climbing … STOP CLIMB

  • RPM … DECREASE

  • Airspeed … INCREASE

  • Fuel Trim … +10%

    richer mixture cools the cylinders

  • Plan Diversion if Sustained … NEAREST SUITABLE

Runaway Trim

Avionics Master … OFF

kills power to SV-AP-PANEL — stops all trim servo commands

  • Airspeed … REDUCE

    unload trim forces

  • Trim … MANUALLY OVERRIDE

    with stick pressure

  • Land … AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE

Note: There is no dedicated trim circuit breaker. The avionics master is the only kill switch for the trim servos.

Icing / Static

Inadvertent Icing Encounter

  • Pitot Heat … ON

  • Icing Conditions … EXIT

    turn back or change altitude for warmer/colder OAT

  • Cabin Heat … ON

  • Defroster … MAX AIRFLOW

  • Engine Speed … INCREASE

    minimize prop blade ice buildup

  • Land … NEAREST AIRPORT

⚠️ WARNING: With ¼ inch ice on leading edges, expect significantly higher stall speed.

  • Wing Flaps … LEAVE RETRACTED
  • Approach … 80-90 KIAS
  • Land … LEVEL ATTITUDE

Static Source Blockage

Erroneous instrument readings suspected.

  • Alternate Static Source … TOGGLE ON

    panel toggle, top left

  • Airspeed … REFERENCE TABLE

    Cruise — 50 ft higher than normal

    Approach — 30 ft higher than normal

Inadvertent IMC / Upset

180º Turn In Clouds

  • Wings … LEVEL ON AUTOPILOT

  • Compass Heading … NOTE

  • Time … NOTE

  • Standard Rate Turn … INITIATE

    60 seconds for 180º

  • Level Flight … MAINTAIN

  • Heading … RECIPROCAL CONFIRMED

Emergency Descent Through Clouds

  • Heading … EAST OR WEST

    minimizes compass swings during bank changes

  • Power … REDUCE

    for 500-800 FPM descent

  • Trim … STABILIZED 80 KIAS

  • Turn Coordinator … MONITOR

    corrections by rudder alone; hands off the wheel

Upon breaking out:

  • Normal Cruising Flight … RESUME

Upset Recovery — Power / Push / Roll

Power … ADJUST

nose-low: throttle back. nose-high: throttle forward.

Push … UNLOAD

Roll … WINGS LEVEL

shortest direction; coordinated rudder

  • Recover … PITCH TO LEVEL

    after wings level, smoothly pitch to level flight

Spin Recovery — PARE

⚠️ WARNING: RV-10 is not approved for intentional spins, and Van’s has not demonstrated spin recovery for the type. PARE is the universal procedure if a spin is entered inadvertently.

  • P - Power … IDLE

  • A - Ailerons … NEUTRAL

  • R - Rudder … FULL OPPOSITE ROTATION

  • E - Elevator … FORWARD BRISKLY

    to break stall

Note: Hold inputs until rotation stops, then neutralize rudder and recover from dive.