it wouldn't have mattered if the prop was still windmilling, it still would have saved an engine....the teardown inspection is necessary due to "sudden stoppage" without the engine running, no inspection would have been necessary.....my guess is it was a high time engine, fully insured, and the pilot now has a brand new prop and engine...kudos

if you are from darwin you may know that that same plane (VH-FTM) is the same plane that crashed onto casuarina beach about 18 months ago.

Airflow over the prop in normal cruise of 100 - 110 knots you are probably right, But he could have shut it down while he was rolling on the strip with the nose up. At this point his airspeed would be around 40 knots. If he shuts it down right away at the point with the mags and not the mixture, the prop will stop within a half second. No way is 40 knots of airspeed enough to keep the prop turning. Waste of an engine.

Airflow over the prop would have and could have easily kept it turning with the engine off. It *might* have stopped once he got slow enough but again, shutting the engine off removes his option to go around. When you pull the mix on the ground for shutdown, you don't have any airflow over the prop to keep it turning hence it stops pretty quick.

great landing. He didn't cut off the engine because then you also loose the ability to go around if something unexpected happens e.g. the wind picks up...

What do you mean it's doubtful it would have stopped windmilling? Anytime I've ever shut down the engine with the mixture it's taken 2 seconds max. If he had shut it off with the mags it would have been almost instant. Would have at least saved his engine, and even the prop, if it stopped horizontally. You've got to explain this one to me lol cause I have no idea where you're getting any of your ^^above^^ ideas from.

Should have turned off the ignition during rollout. Would have saved a lot of money. I can't believe he didn't think to do it, considering all the time they must have had to plan for the landing. They had time to call a cameraman, didn't they?

@andreg00 Samee questionnn!!!

The airplane just tried to kill you, why do you care if it's damaged? 1. Shutting down the engine would have removed the option of going around if he didn't like the final approach. 2. It's doubtful it would have stopped windmilling, in which case it still would have struck the ground.

Everyone criticzing this pilot on shutting down the engine forgets the number one rule that's drilled in all pilots heads. "Fly the airplane!" Maybe he decided he didn't care about the engine and just wanted to fly it safely/land safely. Maybe he kept it on just in case of a botched landing. Regardless, he did a wonderful job.

Regardless to weather he had shut it down or not. The Prop and engine have to be overhauled after a incident like this.

Btw, this is aircraft has retracts. It's a Cessna 177RG. You can see the seams for the landing gear doors just behind the prop. And all aircraft that have retracts also have a emergency landing gear extension handle to manually pump the gear down.

Next time shut off the engine and save yourself $50,000... Even had time to shut it off after touchdown

he should shut down his engine when he was near the ground so it wont throw dirt and stone to his into his engine and not to damage his engine soo much

@andreg00 As an instructor, I understand the question. However, though damage may be done to the powerplant at prop strike and gas fires a common symptom after such a landing, the pilot may have determined the engine stay on during final approach. Not many pilots, potentially including myself, may possess the focus to both perform a soft field landing, bleed airspeed to full stall after touchdown, and accomplish emergency shutdown all at the same time. I just want to point out the stress at hand

10 degrees of flaps, 2000 rpms & soft-field. waillllllllp I'm bored.

Also, those people that say to shut off the engine seems more concerned about aircraft damage than landing safely. Remember, the first thing worry about in an emergency landing is to stay alive and injury free. Trying to save the airplane usually leaves to a much worse accident. The first thing to remember in an aircraft emergency is to save yourself and your occupants while trying to avoid people on the ground, nothing else matters.

Fixed landing gear FTW. Honestly, if and when I fly with retractable landing gear, not having a wheel go down will be one of my greatest fears. And for those of you saying "why didn't he shut the engine off?", well the first rule of piloting is FLY THE AIRPLANE! I'm sure this pilot is more concerned about keeping the nose up and not flipping over into the ground than to worry about engine damage. And he would need the power to make the slow approach on the short/soft field landing.

you never know when you'll need a go-around

EXACTLY!!! right??!?! sheesh he even could have killed it after touchdown... but didn't... such an expensive mistake

too much loss of thrust vector, for most airplanes, a windmilling propeller would exist upon shut down, creating substantial drag as a blade with a very high angle of attack cuts excess air, even though the plane is in ground effect, it will still windmill, regardless of fuel flow to the engine, he could have done it, but he safely landed with idle power because that is how he learned soft fields, I don't blame him, if it was me tho I would have cut engines upon main gear touchdown...

in case the pilot had to do a go around, prop is going to get messed up either way...engine on or not.

The nose gear failed to extend, which forced the pilot to perform a gear up landing. It messed up the propeller but the maneuver put him on the ground safely.

Suppose you need to do a go around? Sure he messed up the prop, but the wind sounded like it was pretty gusty. Better safe than sorry.