Engine failures with happy endings

You will recall from my first post in the density altitude series that low air density -- which equals high density altitude -- affects engine performance. Engine failure in any plane can lead to disaster. In ideal conditions, engine failure in a multi-engine plane does not have to end in a crash. But in a tanker carrying a load of retardant, engine failure often means dumping retardant in order to avoid a crash. Most air bases used by tankers have a designated area where retardant can be safely dumped without harm to people, property, or the environment. But in an emergency situation, the pilot is not always able to reach the designated dump area.

Air density can affect how much time the pilot has to dump the retardant in the event of engine failure. My friend G (air tanker pilot) has this story:

I lost an engine in a P-2 on take-off out of Missoula on a fairly cool day, about 78 degrees.  It was almost a non-event.  I feathered the bad engine and continued to climb out to a spot where I could jettison the load without endangering anybody on the ground.  On a hot day, it would have been an entirely different story.

Engine failures can require quick action and a measure of luck irregardless of air density. Here are some more stories from G:

1. I saw a DC-4DC-6 lose an engine right at rotation, about six inches above the runway. The DC-4 DC-6 is not overpowered and that guy had to pitch the load in a heartbeat.  His retardant tank couldn't have been more than three inches off the runway and he just painted the Kalispel, MT airport runway all the way down.  That shut down the airport for two hours, but the crew lived to tell about it.  That crew was Canadian and I made sure he got the safety award that month for averting an airplane crash with quick thinking.

2. I lost an engine at Chico, CA in a P-2 right when I got the nose wheel off the ground and I knew we couldn't fly out of there.  I had to decide and act in about a second and a half, so I shut it down and did a panic stop, using every inch of available runway and a little more.  But, we were alive.

3. I lost an engine in the PB4Y2 out of Jeffco, CO and I had to find a spot to pitch the load pretty quickly.  Fortunately, there was a big field behind some houses right off the end of the runway and it went there.