What is the recommended action if an engine failure occurs before V1 during takeoff?

• A. Continue the takeoff with reduced thrust.
• B. Declare emergency and rely on ATC.
• C. Abort the takeoff (reject) using maximum braking, maintain directional control, and follow the QRH abort procedures.
• D. Shut down the engine immediately.

Answer: (C)

When an engine failure happens before V1, you must reject the takeoff. V1 is the speed at which you decide to continue or stop; before reaching it there is still enough runway to stop safely, so the correct action is to abort rather than try to continue with an engine out scenario.

Abort means bring the airplane to a controlled stop using maximum braking, keep the aircraft tracking straight to avoid a runway excursion, and follow the QRH abort procedures. Those procedures guide engine shutdown, speedbrake use, thrust management, and other checklist steps to ensure a safe and orderly stop.

Choosing to continue with reduced thrust isn’t reliable at this stage because the airplane may not achieve a safe climb with one engine and you could overshoot the runway. Simply declaring an emergency and waiting for ATC can delay the critical actions needed to stop quickly. Shutting down the engine immediately isn’t the first step in the aborted-takeoff procedure; the QRH abort steps cover the correct sequence to safely reject and stop.