Ninety seconds after takeoff, the engine goes rough — and the runway is behind you
You're in a 1968 Beech, climbing north off runway 35R at Wiley Post.
Clear sky, ten miles of visibility, the wind barely moving.
You lifted off before midfield and climbed through 350 feet over the departure end.
Your passenger is beside you, everything feels ordinary.
Then, about ninety seconds after liftoff, the engine begins to lose power and run rough.
Behind you, a witness on the ground sees smoke trailing.
You key the mike: "...we're a return for landing."
You're climbing through roughly 2,000 feet — a bit over 700 feet above the field.
The runway you just left is behind you now.
Ahead and below is Oklahoma City: streets, buildings, a concrete recycling facility.
Do you turn back to the runway behind you, or take what's ahead while you still have the altitude?
Ninety seconds up, the engine is failing and the runway is behind you — where do you put the airplane?