The thought of an engine failure makes most people nauseous. But how dangerous is such an accident really?
According to Judith Niedmers, Swiss’s first officer, it all depends on when the engine fails, as revealed in an article in the “Swiss Review”. If the aircraft is already in flight and is not flying at full thrust, but at cruising power, in the event of a failure only a small moment of displacement around the aircraft’s center of gravity (vertical axis) is noticeable. Pilots therefore first recall the immediate measurements, the so-called “memory points”, which they know by heart.
These include immediate engine safety and descent to a safe altitude where the aircraft can maintain straight-line speed on one engine. The engine failure checklist is then run and a decision is made as to which airport to land at.
Timing is crucial
If one engine fails, the impact is severe, but a second engine is still available to keep the plane flying. However, if the engine fails at full power, for example during takeoff, the failure is much more obvious.
If the engine is already inoperable at the start, takeoff is not even performed. However, if the takeoff process is already underway, it depends on the speed at which the engine fails. If the plane is not yet traveling too fast, an “aborted takeoff” can be performed. If the plane has exceeded a certain speed, takeoff is performed with only one engine.
During such a takeoff, the pilots must initially balance the aircraft until the nose of the aircraft can be lifted. If the aircraft is in a tilted flight attitude, a map is consulted which, depending on the airport, shows a prescribed path that will take the aircraft safely to the next airport. With a reduced rate of climb, the aircraft is then brought to a certain altitude, where the autopilot can be activated while the pilots constantly monitor the course and flight attitude.
Ideally prepared
The ground staff are also informed that an engine failure has occurred and that the aircraft will land at the affected airport. If one engine fails on a four-engine aircraft, you still have three working engines. But the procedure is the same here, because usually it is not known why an engine failed. So you land at the nearest sensitive airport.
There is no need to panic, as engine failure is one of the most common scenarios pilots train for in flight simulators. They are therefore well trained for emergencies and the plane is functional even with only one engine.