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The proper procedure when starting an engine that has been suspected of flooding is

Choices

  • additional priming, mixture rich, throttle full open.

    More priming worsens flooding.

  • mixture IDLE CUT-OFF, throttle fully OPEN, crank until engine fires, then immediately advance mixture and reduce throttle.correct

    Flooded engine start: mixture in IDLE CUT-OFF (no fuel), throttle FULL OPEN (maximum airflow), crank — the airflow leans the over-rich mixture in the cylinders. As soon as engine fires, smoothly advance mixture to RICH and reduce throttle to idle to prevent over-speed. POH governs; some manufacturers vary.

  • wait 30 minutes for fuel to evaporate.

    Long wait may work but isn't the standard procedure.

  • remove spark plugs and dry them.

    Pulling plugs is mechanic work, not pilot in-the-field.

Why

Flooded engine start: mixture in IDLE CUT-OFF (no fuel), throttle FULL OPEN (maximum airflow), crank — the airflow leans the over-rich mixture in the cylinders. As soon as engine fires, smoothly advance mixture to RICH and reduce throttle to idle to prevent over-speed. POH governs; some manufacturers vary.

FAA source: Aircraft POH/AFM engine-starting/flooded-start procedure; FAA-H-8083-3C, AFH Ch. 2browse the reference library →

Covered in Supplemental · II — Preflight Proceduresstudy the lessons free, then practice with grading and mastery tracking.

Original study question written for this course — representative of FAA knowledge-test topics, not an actual current FAA exam question.

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