The thought of an engine failure makes most people nauseous. But how dangerous is such an accident actually?
According to Judith Niedmers, First Officer of Swiss, it all depends on when the engine fails. If the plane is already in flight and not at full thrust, but at cruising speed, in the event of a failure only a small moment of displacement around the center of gravity of the plane (vertical axis) will be noticeable. Pilots therefore first recall the immediate measurements, the so-called “memory points,” which they know by heart.
This includes immediately securing the engine and descending to a safe altitude where the aircraft can maintain speed in a straight line using only one engine. The engine failure checklist is then processed and a decision is made on which airport to land.
Timing is crucial
If one engine fails, the impact is severe, but there is still a second engine that allows the flight to continue. However, if the engine fails at full power, for example at start-up, the failure is much more obvious.
If the engine fails at the start, the start will not be made at all. But if the start-up process is already underway, it depends on the speed at which the engine fails. If the plane is not yet too fast, an “interrupted take-off” can be performed. If the machine exceeds a certain speed, take-off is made with only one engine.
During such a takeoff, the pilots must first balance the aircraft until the nose of the machine can be lifted. If the aircraft is in a scissors attitude, a map is consulted which, depending on the airport, shows a prescribed path that will take the aircraft safely to the next airport. The aircraft then flies to a certain altitude with reduced climb performance, where the autopilot can be activated while the pilots constantly monitor the course and flight attitude.
Well 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 will land at the next possible airport that makes sense.
There is no need to panic, as engine failure is one of the most common scenarios pilots train in flight simulators. So they are well trained for emergencies and the plane can operate even with only one engine.