The "Impossible Turn": How Fight–Flight–Freeze (FFF) Makes a Bad Bet Worse
World Airnews · October 2025 · Vol. 53, Issue 8 (October 2025; cover misprints Issue 7), Hangar Talk section · pp. 50-52 · By Andre Roos
Examines why pilots attempt the low-altitude turnback after an engine failure on take-off, arguing that the stress response pushes pilots toward the manoeuvre and that online turnback experiments are flawed because none are flown under a real adrenal dump. Reviews FAA guidance and accident data, citing his Cranfield thesis finding of roughly 80% fatality in stall/spin turnbacks. Offers a pre-briefed EFATO script: Speed, Field, Fault, Flaps, Final.
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