Emergency Procedures
These must be practiced until they are reflexive. In a real emergency, you will not have time to think — only to react. Each emergency below has its own focused page with recognition cues, immediate action, and recovery procedure. Read in order for a structured study path, or jump to a specific emergency for quick reference.
All emergency procedures here are for study. Always follow the specific emergency checklist in your aircraft's POH. Procedures vary by aircraft type — recovery actions for one helicopter can be wrong for another.
Time-critical emergencies
Engine Failure & Autorotation
The most-trained emergency. Lower collective immediately, glide at best-glide airspeed, flare and cushion to touchdown.
Tail Rotor Failure
Loss of TR thrust in hover vs forward flight — two scenarios with different recoveries. The mechanical counterpart to LTE.
Settling with Power Recovery
Forward cyclic, not more collective — the counter-intuitive recovery that defines the emergency. Plus the Vuichard alternative.
Land-soon emergencies
Hydraulic Failure
Controls become heavy. Reduce airspeed, land at the nearest suitable area, plan a run-on landing. Aircraft variation matters.
Fire in Flight
Engine, electrical, or cabin — three sources, three responses. The "land now" vs "land soon" distinction matters here.