Definition
Sensors mounted on or inside an engine that measure operating conditions such as inlet air temperature, pressure, or airflow, and send those readings to engine instruments or control systems.
Plain English
Small sensors fitted to the engine that take readings of things like temperature, pressure, or airflow so the pilot's instruments and the engine's control system know what's going on.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of engine instruments and induction icing, where ice can affect parts located in the air path feeding the engine.
Derivation
A 'probe' comes from the Latin probare, meaning to test or examine. The word is used here in its instrumentation sense -- a small device pushed into a flow or space to test what is happening there.
Why Pilots Care
If an engine probe ices over or fails, the readings the pilot relies on (and the readings the engine's own control system relies on) can become wrong or unavailable. That can lead to incorrect power settings, false warnings, or loss of automatic engine protections.
Grounding Statement
Picture a small sensor tip sitting in the engine’s airflow or hot gases, taking a reading for the cockpit display.
Intuition Check
Engine probes are not questions or inspections by a mechanic. In this context, they are physical sensor parts that measure engine conditions.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff in visible moisture and cold temperatures, the crew turned on engine anti-ice to keep the engine probes from icing up.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot monitored the engine probes closely while flying through visible moisture to catch the first signs of induction icing.