# Cessna 172 SP — Emergency Procedures

> **NOT FOR FLIGHT** — source fidelity: not_applicable | operational review: none | completeness: partial | 2 unresolved safety defect(s)

Emergency procedures for the Cessna 172 SP with Lycoming IO-360 fuel-injected engine. Memory items are marked accordingly. Contains no numeric limitations; all airspeeds and power settings must come from the specific aircraft POH. The IO-360 is fuel-injected — there is no carburetor and no carburetor heat; carburetor ice is not applicable and is omitted.

> **safety_defect**: Contains no airspeeds, power settings, or other numeric limits — must come from aircraft POH.
> **safety_defect**: Emergency checklists must be practiced and memorized. This file is an aide-memoire only. Aviate first, then navigate and communicate.
> **content_gap**: Avionics suite (steam-gauge vs G1000/NXi) affects information available during emergencies. Verify procedures against the specific aircraft POH and supplements.

## Engine Failure on Takeoff Roll (Before Lift-Off) (EMERGENCY)

- [ ] Throttle `MEMORY` — **CLOSE IMMEDIATELY**
- [ ] Brakes `MEMORY` — **APPLY FIRMLY — STOP ON REMAINING RUNWAY**
- [ ] Mixture `MEMORY` — **IDLE CUT-OFF**
- [ ] Ignition `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Master switch `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Fuel selector `MEMORY` — **OFF**

## Engine Failure After Liftoff (EMERGENCY)

- [ ] Best glide airspeed — pitch immediately `MEMORY` — **ESTABLISH PER POH**
- [ ] Landing area — land straight ahead or with minimal turn onto best available surface `MEMORY` — **SELECTED**
- [ ] Throttle `MEMORY` — **CLOSE**
- [ ] Flaps — retract to reduce drag if altitude permits a controlled approach ahead `MEMORY` — **AS REQUIRED**
- [ ] Mixture `MEMORY` — **IDLE CUT-OFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN**
- [ ] Ignition `MEMORY` — **OFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN**
- [ ] Master switch `MEMORY` — **OFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN**
- [ ] Fuel selector `MEMORY` — **OFF BEFORE TOUCHDOWN**
> **NOTE:** Do 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.

## Engine Failure in Flight (EMERGENCY)

- [ ] Best glide airspeed — pitch for it immediately `MEMORY` — **ESTABLISHED PER POH**
- [ ] Landing area — identify most suitable field or surface within glide range `MEMORY` — **IDENTIFIED**
- [ ] Fuel selector — confirm not accidentally moved to OFF `MEMORY` — **BOTH**
- [ ] Mixture `MEMORY` — **RICH**
- [ ] Throttle — advance to full; check for partial power recovery `MEMORY` — **FULL; MONITOR RESPONSE**
- [ ] Ignition — cycle through LEFT and RIGHT individually to check for magneto failure `MEMORY` — **BOTH; CYCLE IF NO RESPONSE**
- [ ] Fuel quantity — verify remaining on both gauges; rule out fuel exhaustion — **CONFIRMED FUEL REMAINING**
- [ ] Restart attempt — if probable cause identified, correct and retry before committing to forced landing — **ATTEMPTED IF FEASIBLE**
- [ ] Squawk 7700 and declare emergency — transmit position, nature, and souls on board on 121.5 MHz or current frequency — **DECLARED**
- [ ] Passenger briefing — brace position and emergency exit procedure — **BRIEFED**
- [ ] If engine does not restart — execute forced landing procedure — **PROCEED TO FORCED LANDING**

## Engine Fire in Flight (EMERGENCY)

- [ ] Mixture `MEMORY` — **IDLE CUT-OFF — cut fuel to engine immediately**
- [ ] Fuel selector `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Throttle `MEMORY` — **CLOSE**
- [ ] Master and alternator switches `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Cabin heat and air vents — close all cockpit airflow paths to deny fire fresh air into cabin `MEMORY` — **CLOSED**
- [ ] Airspeed — increase toward maneuvering speed if fire persists; airflow may extinguish fire — **INCREASED IF FIRE PERSISTS**
- [ ] Declare emergency and proceed to nearest suitable landing area without delay — **MAYDAY DECLARED; LANDING AREA SELECTED**
- [ ] Seat belts — all occupants secured and braced — **SECURE**

## Engine Fire on Ground (EMERGENCY)

- [ ] Throttle — advance briefly to attempt to draw fire back through induction, then close `MEMORY` — **ADVANCED BRIEFLY THEN CLOSED**
- [ ] Mixture `MEMORY` — **IDLE CUT-OFF**
- [ ] Fuel selector `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Ignition `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Master switch `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Evacuate — all occupants exit immediately and move upwind to safe distance `MEMORY` — **EVACUATED UPWIND**
- [ ] Fire extinguisher — use on engine if accessible and fire is not endangering personnel — **USED IF SAFE TO DO SO**
- [ ] Emergency services — call fire/rescue; do not re-enter aircraft if fire persists — **CALLED**

## Electrical Fire / Smoke in Cockpit (EMERGENCY)

- [ ] Master switch `MEMORY` — **OFF — remove all power from bus**
- [ ] All electrical switches `MEMORY` — **OFF — cycle all off before any power restoration**
- [ ] Vents — open fresh-air vents to ventilate cockpit and clear smoke `MEMORY` — **OPEN**
- [ ] Fire extinguisher — use if source is visible and accessible; aim at base of flame — **USED AS NEEDED**
- [ ] Master switch — if flight requires electrical power, restore; turn equipment on one item at a time, watching for recurrence — **RESTORED SELECTIVELY IF ESSENTIAL**
- [ ] Avionics master — leave OFF unless essential for navigation or ATC communication — **OFF UNLESS ESSENTIAL**
- [ ] Land as soon as practicable — declare emergency; do not continue flight with unresolved electrical fire or smoke — **LANDING INITIATED**

## Loss of Oil Pressure (EMERGENCY)

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

## Forced Landing (Power-Off) (EMERGENCY)

- [ ] Best glide airspeed — establish and maintain per POH `MEMORY` — **ESTABLISHED PER POH**
- [ ] Landing area — select largest, smoothest surface available into the wind; avoid power lines, fences, ditches, and sloped terrain `MEMORY` — **SELECTED**
- [ ] Squawk 7700 and declare Mayday — transmit aircraft type, position, nature of emergency, and souls on board on 121.5 MHz or current frequency — **DECLARED**
- [ ] ELT — activate manually if time permits — **ACTIVATED**
- [ ] Passenger briefing — brace position, seat belts tight, door unlatched before touchdown — **BRIEFED**
- [ ] Flaps — deploy incrementally when landing is assured; full flaps for shortest roll-out if obstacle clearance is not a factor — **SET AS REQUIRED**
- [ ] Fuel selector `MEMORY` — **OFF ON SHORT FINAL**
- [ ] Mixture `MEMORY` — **IDLE CUT-OFF ON SHORT FINAL**
- [ ] Ignition `MEMORY` — **OFF JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN**
- [ ] Master switch — OFF just before touchdown, unless ELT is transmitting via aircraft power `MEMORY` — **OFF**
- [ ] Doors — unlatch prior to touchdown to prevent jamming in a deformed airframe `MEMORY` — **UNLATCHED**
- [ ] Touchdown attitude — minimum airspeed, tail-low; absorb impact through landing gear rather than nose-first — **TAIL-LOW AT MINIMUM SPEED**
- [ ] Post-landing — exit aircraft upwind; move well clear; activate ELT if not already transmitting — **EVACUATED UPWIND**

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NOT FOR FLIGHT — source fidelity: not_applicable | operational review: none | completeness: partial | 2 unresolved safety defect(s)  
Source: authored — no source document  
Rights: original_expression CC-BY-4.0  
Checklist hash: acad6d28427f3cfaa3c2825a0cda41117d0b747fd7185de5150c908f71b289fc  
Verify against the aircraft's own approved documentation before use.