The engine fails at 300 feet after takeoff

Private pilot · Who you talk to: The tower

Climbing out at 300 feet above the ground, the engine fails. The runway is behind you; the FAA's own example shows a standard-rate turn back at this height ends about 1,000 feet below the runway.

What this case adds

Lower the nose at once to the glide attitude.
Land straight ahead or with a slight turn, under control and as slowly as possible.
Turn back only if certain the airplane can reach the field and you have trained the maneuver.

Critical fails

Letting airspeed drift more than 10 knots from best glide.
Stalling, spinning or flying into terrain while maneuvering low, for example a turn back to the runway without the altitude for it.
Stretching the glide over obstacles short of the field instead of planning an approach with margin.
Losing control of the airplane while working the checklist: positive control has priority over configuration and checklist tasks.

The full checklist of this mold, step by step with its official sources: Engine failure: Mayday and forced landing.

Sources

FAA-H-8083-3C, Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 18: Emergency Procedures https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/19_afh_ch18.pdf

Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the FAA. The FAA documents are named and linked only to describe what this mold practices; always follow your airplane's POH/AFM and your instructor.

Engine failure: Mayday and forced landing