Definition
A manufacturer-published emergency checklist in a multiengine airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) that specifies the sequence of actions to take when one engine fails after the airplane has lifted off and is climbing away from the runway. The checklist typically directs the pilot to maintain control, set the mixtures, propellers, and throttles to maximum allowable power, retract the landing gear and flaps according to manufacturer guidance, identify and verify the failed engine, feather the inoperative engine's propeller, and establish the published single-engine climb airspeed (VYSE or 'blueline') while securing the failed engine.
Plain English
A step-by-step list, written by the airplane's manufacturer, that tells the pilot exactly what to do if one engine quits just after takeoff. It walks the pilot through keeping the airplane flying, picking the right speed, shutting down the dead engine cleanly, and getting the most climb out of the engine that is still working.
Context Anchor
You encounter this in emergency procedures, takeoff briefings, simulator practice, and training for low-altitude engine failures after liftoff.
Why Pilots Care
Engine failure after takeoff leaves minimal altitude and time for decisions; following this checklist prevents loss of control and improves chances of a survivable forced landing.
Grounding Statement
The main idea is simple: fly the airplane first, then use the checklist to confirm the correct emergency actions as time and altitude allow.
Intuition Check
Do not think of this as a slow, normal checklist that the pilot reads from top to bottom while the airplane waits. After takeoff, control of the airplane comes first; the checklist supports the response, but it does not replace flying the airplane.
Example Sentence 1
When the right engine lost power just after liftoff, the pilot flew the airplane first, then ran the engine failure after takeoff checklist to feather the prop and hold blueline.
Example Sentence 2
During recurrent training the instructor required the student to recite the engine failure after takeoff checklist from memory before the first takeoff.