Columbia Basin, Ephrata, WA | ScottG - 12/18/2025 16:43
Big Ben - 12/18/2025 13:25
sawinc - 12/18/2025 11:22
The impossible turn.
Not something you see often with a bizjet.
Still impossible.
Can you explain to us ground mongering folk what you mean by "impossible turn?"
thanks in advance
After seeing the flight path, this wasn’t really a case of the impossible turn.
The “impossible turn” refers to the turn a pilot may attempt if/when their engine suffers a significant power loss or stops while climbing shortly after takeoff. The idea is that the runway isn’t far behind, you can just flip a quick 180° turn and glide back to land on the runway. Sounds simple, and it’s been demonstrated as technically possible at enough altitude with a plane that glides well and a pilot that knew what was going to happen. The reality is, when it happens unexpectedly most of the time with most planes it’s impossible to get back to the runway by the time you react, get the plane reconfigured, and attempt to make the 270+ degrees of turn required. (A simple 180° turn will get you headed back the other way, but probably aligned way off the the side of the runway, not aligned with it.). All those steps take time the pilot doesn’t have in that scenario, so many pilots and planes have met their end attempting an impossible turn.
Edited by Big Ben 12/18/2025 19:26
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