Definition
A multiengine flight condition in which one engine has failed and the airplane is flown with the wings held parallel to the horizon, with no bank applied to offset the asymmetric thrust. Because no bank is used, the rudder alone must counter the yawing force from the operating engine, and the airplane typically requires a small sideslip to maintain heading. This configuration produces noticeably higher drag and lower climb performance than the same airplane flown with a small bank into the operating engine.
Plain English
Flying a twin with one engine out while keeping the wings flat and level. It works, but the airplane doesn't climb as well as it could, because the air is hitting the side of the fuselage instead of flowing cleanly along it.
Context Anchor
Seen in multi-engine airplane training when learning why a small bank toward the operating engine can improve climb after an engine failure.
Why Pilots Care
This configuration is the baseline used to calculate published single-engine climb gradients and to understand how much performance is gained or lost when a small bank angle is introduced.
Grounding Statement
Picture one engine pulling and the other not; if you hold the wings level, the airplane must use rudder alone to stay straight, so it tends to move slightly sideways through the air.
Intuition Check
Do not assume wings level means best performance after one engine fails. In this context, a small bank toward the operating engine can reduce drag and help the airplane climb better.
Example Sentence 1
During the engine-out demonstration, the instructor showed how climb rate dropped noticeably in wings level engine-out flight compared to flying with a 2-degree bank into the good engine.
Example Sentence 2
The handbook explains that wings level engine-out flight produces a lower climb gradient than a slight bank toward the operating engine.