Can the plane typically fly with only one engine
Doug Drury does not work for any company, consult or own shares in, or receive money from any business or organization that could benefit from this piece and has not disclosed any affiliations outside their academic
You may have heard about the news reports. Qantas flight 144 departing from Auckland arrived safely in Sydney this morning after it was ordered by the pilot to turn off the engine as well as issue a mayday signal during the flight across the Pacific Ocean.
This plane is an old twin-jet Boeing 737 and was carrying around 145 passengers, all of who disembarked in a usual manner following the landing yesterday afternoon.
Unfortunately, these events often happen in aviation. I experienced an engine failure during a flight, but the good thing is it’s very uncommon. This makes aviation the most secure mode of transportation anywhere in the world.
These are highly-trained pilots who invest much of their time in full-motion simulators and re-enacting the same events.
When you’re on the road, and there’s plenty of water underneath your feet, there’s the correct procedure to follow.
It’s routine, it’s not a panic attack or going off track. You’re able to recall your lessons which is what transpired here.
Can planes fly on just one engine?
Absolutely. This is precisely what they were created to do.
The law requires planes to be able to travel from point A to B across the water, using only one engine. The guidelines set by the safety authorities in Australia require that any plane launched in the hope of getting to a specific destination needs to travel there with just one engine determined by the departure loads established before the takeoff.
This ensures that even when one engine is damaged, such as what has occurred, the plane will still make it safely to the airport. It can continue to fly until it is depleted of fuel. These aircraft are designed to fly with one engine as a fly on two machines.
A single-engine operation means that you won’t have maximum thrust to taketake off, but you’ll be able to fly and land easily.
Although a plane can fly using one engine, it’s scarce for engines to fail during an air flight.
Maintenance procedures for airlines are rigorous, as are the technicians licensed to the same quality and level as pilots. The norm is that you let someone handle the maintenance of an aircraft at ground level. However, they send someone to follow them, examine it, and test it to ensure it runs efficiently.
Ground tests, flight tests, and certification procedures must be completed before a plane can carry passengers. That’s the reason these kinds of events are pretty unusual.
The air-con shut down, and the bang.
Passengers reported hearing a sound on the Qantas flight on the morning of yesterday.
The details of what happened remain to be revealed. However, it’s possible that engine failure can produce sounds. It’s all dependent on the kind of failure. If it was a part of the engine breaking, it could cause a loud noise that people could hear.
However, suppose the pilot was required to isolate the engine and experienced a pressure increase or engine temperatures higher than normal limits. In that case, the pilot may decide to shut down the machine before hearing a bang.
The reports that the plane’s air conditioning stopped working suggested that the crew was required to shut down some systems to reach the goal of landing smoothly in Sydney.
The anatomy of an emergency
If an event of this kind occurs, pilots examine their instruments to identify the cause.
When it happens, we’ll have a Rapid Reference Handbook to consult. It outlines all possible emergencies that could occur on the plane. The pilots follow the manual to study every step and possibility that helps them identify and fix the issue.