PLT210: Engine Shutdown
What code PLT210 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Engine Shutdown before your checkride.
Recall engine shutdown - normal / abnormal / emergency / precautions
What this means for your checkride
Engine shutdown differs by situation. A normal shutdown idles the engine, then uses the mixture at idle cutoff so no fuel remains in the cylinders, and turns off the ignition and master. An abnormal or emergency shutdown, such as an engine fire, follows the POH memory items to cut fuel and secure the engine quickly.
Shutting down correctly prevents damage and hazards, so the FAA tests the normal sequence and the emergency shutdown for a fire.
Pilots shut down with the ignition switch to skip the mixture step. Idle cutoff on the mixture stops fuel, prevents the engine from running on after the key is off, and clears fuel from the cylinders.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.