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Whether you're at 200' just after departure or are already at your cruising altitude, the first and foremost thing to do if a power failure occurs is to maintain control of the aircraft. Control of the glide attitude and airspeed allows for the best glide angle, giving the pilot time to plan an emergency landing. |
Of course, if there is no altitude to spare (as is the case with a power failure on takeoff), maintaining control of the aircraft and establishing the proper glide attitude will help the pilot to put the plane down under control on whatever terrain presents itself directly in front of, or slightly to either side of, the aircraft's flight path. |
Remember, the pilot's job in the event of a power failure is to ensure the safest possible outcome for the occupants of the aircraft. The plane itself is expendable; lives are not. |
Think about the recent case of the pilot of a jetliner which had both engines stopped by multiple birdstrikes within about 2 minutes of takeoff from a major metropolitan New York City airport. ATC suggested he try to make it to another airport in the vicinity, but he didn't think he would be able to make it so he chose to put the plane into the Hudson River to try to save the lives of his passengers and not jeapordize those on the ground. All of his passengers survived because he ditched the plane under control in inhospitable terrain rather than risk an uncontrolled crash into the streets of the surrounding metropolitan areas. |
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