| CHAPTER 12. Night Operations
Night Emergencies
Perhaps the pilot’s greatest concern about fl ying a singleengine
aircraft at night is the possibility of a complete
engine failure and the subsequent emergency landing. This
is a legitimate concern, even though continuing fl ight into
adverse weather and poor pilot judgment account for most
serious accidents.
If the engine fails at night, several important procedures and
considerations to keep in mind are:
- Maintain positive control of the aircraft and establish
the best glide confi guration and airspeed. Turn the
aircraft toward an airport or away from congested
areas.
- Check to determine the cause of the engine malfunction,
such as the position of fuel shutoff, magneto switch, or
primer. If possible, the cause of the malfunction should
be corrected immediately and the engine restarted.
- Announce the emergency situation to Air Traffi c
Control (ATC) or UNICOM. If already in radio
contact with a facility, do not change frequencies
unless instructed to change.
- Consider an emergency landing area close to public
access if possible. This may facilitate rescue or help,
if needed.
- Maintain orientation with the wind to avoid a
downwind landing.
- Complete the before landing checklist, and check the
landing lights for operation at altitude and turn on in
suffi cient time to illuminate the terrain or obstacles
along the fl ightpath. The landing should be completed
in the normal landing attitude at the slowest possible
airspeed. If the landing lights are unusable and outside
visual references are not available, the aircraft should
be held minimum controlled airspeed until the ground
is contacted.
- After landing, turn off all switches and evacuate the
aircraft as quickly as possible.
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