Cessna 172 SP — Emergency Procedures

Engine Failure on Takeoff Roll (Before Lift-Off) engine_failure_before_rotation

Best glide airspeed — pitch immediatelyMEMORYESTABLISH PER POH
Landing area — land straight ahead or with minimal turn onto best available surfaceMEMORYSELECTED
ThrottleMEMORYCLOSE
Flaps — retract to reduce drag if altitude permits a controlled approach aheadMEMORYAS REQUIRED
MixtureMEMORYIDLE CUT-OFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN
IgnitionMEMORYOFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN
Master switchMEMORYOFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN
Fuel selectorMEMORYOFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN
NOTEDo not attempt to return to the runway unless altitude and glide performance clearly permit. A straight-ahead or shallow-turn landing is nearly always the safer choice.

Best glide airspeed — pitch for it immediatelyMEMORYESTABLISHED PER POH
Landing area — identify most suitable field or surface within glide rangeMEMORYIDENTIFIED
Fuel selector — confirm not accidentally moved to OFFMEMORYBOTH
MixtureMEMORYRICH
Throttle — advance to full; check for partial power recoveryMEMORYFULL; MONITOR RESPONSE
Ignition — cycle through LEFT and RIGHT individually to check for magneto failureMEMORYBOTH; CYCLE IF NO RESPONSE
Fuel quantity — verify remaining on both gauges; rule out fuel exhaustionCONFIRMED FUEL REMAINING
Restart attempt — if probable cause identified, correct and retry before committing to forced landingATTEMPTED IF FEASIBLE
Squawk 7700 and declare emergency — transmit position, nature, and souls on board on 121.5 MHz or current frequencyDECLARED
Passenger briefing — brace position and emergency exit procedureBRIEFED
If engine does not restart — execute forced landing procedurePROCEED TO FORCED LANDING

MixtureMEMORYIDLE CUT-OFF — cut fuel to engine immediately
Fuel selectorMEMORYOFF
ThrottleMEMORYCLOSE
Master and alternator switchesMEMORYOFF
Cabin heat and air vents — close all cockpit airflow paths to deny fire fresh air into cabinMEMORYCLOSED
Airspeed — increase toward maneuvering speed if fire persists; airflow may extinguish fireINCREASED IF FIRE PERSISTS
Declare emergency and proceed to nearest suitable landing area without delayMAYDAY DECLARED; LANDING AREA SELECTED
Seat belts — all occupants secured and bracedSECURE

Throttle — advance briefly to attempt to draw fire back through induction, then closeMEMORYADVANCED BRIEFLY THEN CLOSED
MixtureMEMORYIDLE CUT-OFF
Fuel selectorMEMORYOFF
IgnitionMEMORYOFF
Master switchMEMORYOFF
Evacuate — all occupants exit immediately and move upwind to safe distanceMEMORYEVACUATED UPWIND
Fire extinguisher — use on engine if accessible and fire is not endangering personnelUSED IF SAFE TO DO SO
Emergency services — call fire/rescue; do not re-enter aircraft if fire persistsCALLED

Master switchMEMORYOFF — remove all power from bus
All electrical switchesMEMORYOFF — cycle all off before any power restoration
Vents — open fresh-air vents to ventilate cockpit and clear smokeMEMORYOPEN
Fire extinguisher — use if source is visible and accessible; aim at base of flameUSED AS NEEDED
Master switch — if flight requires electrical power, restore; turn equipment on one item at a time, watching for recurrenceRESTORED SELECTIVELY IF ESSENTIAL
Avionics master — leave OFF unless essential for navigation or ATC communicationOFF UNLESS ESSENTIAL
Land as soon as practicable — declare emergency; do not continue flight with unresolved electrical fire or smokeLANDING INITIATED

Oil pressure gauge — confirm reading; cross-check oil temperature for simultaneous rise indicating real oil loss vs. gauge failureMEMORYCONFIRMED LOW
Throttle — reduce power to minimum required for continued flightMEMORYREDUCED
Nearest suitable landing area — identify and proceed toward it without delayMEMORYIDENTIFIED AND PROCEEDING
Treat engine as potentially seconds from seizure if pressure is zero and temperature is rising — do not delay landingMEMORYLANDING PRIORITY CONFIRMED
ATC — advise of situation; squawk 7700ADVISED
Forced landing — execute before engine failure if pressure cannot be restored; a controlled power-on landing is preferable to a power-off arrivalEXECUTING IF NOT RESTORED

Best glide airspeed — establish and maintain per POHMEMORYESTABLISHED PER POH
Landing area — select largest, smoothest surface available into the wind; avoid power lines, fences, ditches, and sloped terrainMEMORYSELECTED
Squawk 7700 and declare Mayday — transmit aircraft type, position, nature of emergency, and souls on board on 121.5 MHz or current frequencyDECLARED
ELT — activate manually if time permitsACTIVATED
Passenger briefing — brace position, seat belts tight, door unlatched before touchdownBRIEFED
Flaps — deploy incrementally when landing is assured; full flaps for shortest roll-out if obstacle clearance is not a factorSET AS REQUIRED
Fuel selectorMEMORYOFF ON SHORT FINAL
MixtureMEMORYIDLE CUT-OFF ON SHORT FINAL
IgnitionMEMORYOFF JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN
Master switch — OFF just before touchdown, unless ELT is transmitting via aircraft powerMEMORYOFF
Doors — unlatch prior to touchdown to prevent jamming in a deformed airframeMEMORYUNLATCHED
Touchdown attitude — minimum airspeed, tail-low; absorb impact through landing gear rather than nose-firstTAIL-LOW AT MINIMUM SPEED
Post-landing — exit aircraft upwind; move well clear; activate ELT if not already transmittingEVACUATED UPWIND