Sport Pilot for Helicopter - Simplified Flight Controls › II. Preflight Procedures › Task D. Before Takeoff Check

SH.II.D.K1b

Knowledge

Purpose of before takeoff checklist items, including:

Detecting malfunctions

Study note

Get a short, cited explanation of this element written from the FAA handbooks: the core idea, the numbers that matter, common test traps, and a quick self-check.

From the FAA library

Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 11-20
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › System Malfunctions › Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness (LTE)
The key is not to put the helicopter in a compromising condition…
Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 11-23
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › System Malfunctions › Medium- and High-Frequency Vibrations
high-frequency vibration, which is aggravated by engine malfunctions, such as spark plug fouling, incorrect magneto timing, carburetor icing and/or incorrect fuel/air mixture. Vibrations in turbine engines are often difficult to detect as these engines operate at a very high…
Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 12-7
Chapter 12: Night Operations › Night Flight › Preflight
lens (white light) should be used to supplement lighting. Oil and hydraulic fluid levels and leaks are difficult to detect with a blue-green or red lens. Windscreens should be checked to ensure they are clean and relatively free ... check to see that they are not tripped. A tripped circuit breaker may be an indication of an equipment malfunction and should be left for maintenance to troubleshoot before flying. All aircraft operating between sunset and sunrise are required…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 7-28
Chapter 7: Aircraft Systems › Fuel Systems › Fuel System Icing
entrained water that collects at the bottom of a fuel tank. Free water is usually present in easily detected quantities at the bottom of the tank, separated by a continuous interface from the fuel above. Free water can be drained ... drains useless and can later melt releasing the water into the system thereby causing engine malfunction or stoppage. If such a condition is detected, the aircraft may be placed in a warm hangar to reestablish proper draining of these reservoirs…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 7-11
Chapter 7: Aircraft Systems › Carburetor Air Temperature Gauge › Fuel Injection Systems
Celsius and Fahrenheit. It provides the outside or ambient air temperature for calculating true airspeed and is useful in detecting potential icing conditions. Fuel Injection Systems In a fuel injection system, the fuel is injected directly into the cylinders ... source is usually operated automatically, with a backup manual system that can be used if the automatic feature malfunctions. A fuel injection system usually incorporates six basic components: an engine-driven fuel pump, a fuel-air control unit, a fuel…
Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 11-23
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › Multiengine Emergency Operations › Single-Engine Failure
also be used to detect other vibrations in the helicopter. These systems use accelerometers mounted around the helicopter to detect the direction, frequency, and intensity of the vibration. The built-in software can then analyze the information, pinpoint the origin ... capability. Environmental response time and control technique may be additional factors. Caution must be exercised to correctly identify the malfunctioning engine since there is no telltale yawing as occurs in most multiengine airplanes. Shutting down the wrong engine could…