Propulsion-assistance method by detecting a failure in a turboshaft engine of an aircraft operating in a nominal mode, the aircraft comprising a deactivated assistance engine, the method comprising a step of comparing operating parameters of the turboshaft engine with equivalent parameters of a model representing a healthy turboshaft engine, a step of detecting a failure in the turboshaft engine by detecting an anomaly in at least one operating parameter of the turboshaft engine, a step of selecting an activation mode of the assistance engine according to the operating parameters of the turboshaft engine and/or flight parameters of the aircraft, and a step of activating the assistance engine with the activation mode selected.