Firefish wrote:Not sure if their SOP is to ditch instead of try and land on the deck in the event of an engine failure but that approach didn't seem to give them any other option.
I would imagine there to be few operators who would have an SOP to automatically ditch following an engine failure however there are obviously SOPs for when an aircraft has no other option but to ditch and what the subsequent actions should be. I agree that the approach did not look to be ideal.
In the 'unlikely' event of an engine failure on late finals, the call of 'committed' is made when the pilot flying no longer believes that they can safely fly away in the event of an engine failing. If a good approach has been flown, all things being equal, the aircraft should be able to safely make it to the deck on one engine, or, be positioned to make the best possible attempt to fly away prior to the committal call. There are obviously many variables involved which dictate if the approach is flown differently from one platform to another and the crew on any given day normally conduct a reasonably thorough brief on how each approach will be completed.
With respect to the 'ideal approach', which can be a somewhat subjective matter, depending on type the aircraft should ideally be manoeuvred such that, at or very close to the committal call being made, ROD should be minimal, GS around 10 knots, main rotor blades coincidental with the deck or platform edge and at a height appropriate for the type above the deck.
Further, it must be remembered that some machines may not have a huge power margin for the final approach and in a perfect world, a perfectly flown approach may still result in some exposure time where a safe landing on one engine may not be made.