Is it possible to land a plane with failed engines? Landing of airliners with a failed power plant - Airfield - LJ

"flying in the skies over Indonesia. A few hours later, the plane carrying 263 passengers was scheduled to land in Perth, Australia. Passengers were dozing peacefully or reading books.

Passenger: We have already flown through two time zones. I was tired, but I still couldn’t sleep. The night was very dark, you could prick your eyes out.

Passenger: The flight was normal. Everything was great. It's been a long time since we left London. The children wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Many passengers on the plane began their journey a day ago. But the crew was new. The pilots reported for duty at their final stop in Kuala Lumpur. The captain was Eric Moody. He started flying at the age of 16. He was also one of the first pilots to learn to fly the Boeing 747. Co-pilot Roger Greaves had already served in this position for six years. Flight engineer Bari Tauli-Freeman was also in the cockpit.

When the plane flew over Jakarta, its cruising altitude was 11,000 meters. An hour and a half has passed since the last landing. Captain Moody checked the weather on the radar. Favorable conditions were expected for the next 500 kilometers. Many passengers fell asleep in the cabin. But an ominous haze began to appear over their heads. In 1982 in passenger planes Smoking was still allowed. But the flight attendants thought the smoke was thicker than usual. They began to worry that there was a fire somewhere on the plane. A fire at an altitude of 11 kilometers is scary. The crew tried to locate the source of the fire. Trouble also began in the cockpit.

Co-pilot: We just sat and watched the flight. The night was very dark. And suddenly, lights began to appear on the windshield. We assumed it was St. Elmo's Fire.

St. Elmo's Fire

St. Elmo's Fire- This a natural phenomenon which occurs when flying through thunderclouds. But that night there were no thunderclouds, everything was clear on the radar. The pilots were alarmed to discover that there was a slight haze surrounding the plane.

Passenger: I was reading a book. When I looked out the window, I saw that the wing of the plane was covered with a dazzling white, flickering light. That was incredible!

Meanwhile, the smoke in the cabin began to thicken. The stewards could not understand where it was coming from.

Passenger: I noticed thick smoke pouring into the cabin through the fans above the windows. The sight was very alarming.

A few minutes later, flames began to burst out of the first and fourth engines. But the instruments in the cabin did not detect a fire. The pilots were perplexed. They had never seen anything like this before.

Co-pilot: The so-called light show has become even brighter. Instead of windshields, we had two walls of flickering white light.

The senior conductor quietly organized a thorough search for the source of ignition in the cabin. But the situation worsened very quickly. Acrid smoke was already everywhere. It became very hot. Passengers found it difficult to breathe. In the cockpit, the flight engineer checked all the instruments. He smelled smoke, but the instruments showed no fire in any part of the plane. Soon the crew encountered new problem. All engines caught fire.

Passenger: Huge flames were coming out of the engines. It reached more than 6 meters in length.

The fire engulfed all engines. Suddenly, one of them, increasing its speed for a moment, stalled. The pilots immediately turned it off. The Boeing 747 was at an altitude of 11,000 meters. But not even a few minutes had passed before the other three engines also died.

Captain: The other three engines shut down almost instantly. The situation became very serious. We had four engines running and within a minute and a half there was none left.

The plane had a large supply of fuel, but for an unknown reason all the engines stalled. The crew began sending out a distress signal. The engines failed to provide thrust, and Flight 9 began to fall from the sky. The co-pilot tried to inform Jakarta about the emergency situation, but the controllers practically did not hear him.

Co-pilot: Mission control in Jakarta had a hard time understanding what we were talking about.

Only when another plane nearby relayed a distress signal did mission control realize what was happening. The crew did not remember that the Boeing 747 had all four engines fail. They wondered why this could happen.

Captain: I was worried that we had done something wrong. We sat and blamed ourselves because these things shouldn't happen at all.

Although the Boeing 747 was not designed as a glider, it could move 15 kilometers forward for every kilometer it descended. Left without engines, Flight 9 began to slowly fall. The team had half an hour before colliding with the sea. There was one more feature. In simulators, when all engines are turned off, the autopilot is also turned off. But high above Indian Ocean the captain saw that the autopilot was engaged. With the situation so tense, they did not have time to find out why the autopilot was engaged. The pilots began the procedure to restart the engines. This procedure took 3 minutes. Falling quickly from the sky, the crew had less than a 10 chance of starting the engines before disaster. At an altitude of 10,000 meters, Captain Eric Moody decided to turn the plane towards the nearby Halim Airport, near Jakarta. But even to him the distance was too great if the engines did not work. On top of that, for some reason, Halima Airport could not find Flight 9 on its radar.

With the engines turned off, the cabin became very quiet. Some of the passengers felt the decline. They could only guess what was happening.

Passenger: Some people just sat straight, as if they hadn't noticed anything. At first it was fear, but after a while it turned into humility. We knew we would die.

Chief Steward: I think if I sat down and really thought about what was going on, I would never get up.

Captain Moody could not restart the engines until the aircraft's speed was between 250 and 270 knots. But the speed sensors didn't work. They needed to get the plane to the right speed. The captain varied his speed. To do this, he turned off the autopilot and pulled the yoke up and then down. Such " roller coaster"further increased the panic in the cabin. The pilots hoped that at some point, when we fed fuel to the engines, the speed would become as needed for a restart.

Suddenly another problem appeared. The pressure sensor has tripped. The fact is that in addition to electrical power, the engines helped maintain normal pressure in the cabin. Since they were not working, the pressure gradually began to drop. Due to lack of oxygen, passengers began to suffocate. The pilots wanted to put on oxygen masks, but the co-pilot's mask was broken. The captain himself had to increase the rate of descent in order to quickly move to a lower altitude. This way everyone could breathe calmly. However, the problem was not solved. If the engines did not start, it was necessary to land the plane in open ocean. The co-pilot and flight engineer shortened the standard restart sequence. This way they had a better chance of starting the engines.

Co-pilot: We repeated the same thing over and over again. But despite all our efforts, no progress was observed. However, we stuck to this script. I can't even imagine how many times we restarted them. Most likely about 50 times.

The plane was falling lower and lower, and the captain was faced with a difficult choice. Between the plane and the airport was the Java mountain range. To fly it, you had to be at an altitude of no less than 3500 meters. Without engines it was impossible to fly to the airport. The captain decided that if the situation did not change, he would land on the water.

Captain: I knew how difficult it was to land a plane on the water even with the engines running. Besides, I've never done this.

The pilots had very little chance of starting the engines. It was already necessary to turn the plane towards the ocean in order to land on the water. Suddenly the fourth engine roared and started working as suddenly as it had turned off. The passengers felt as if someone had thrown the plane from the bottom up.

Co-pilot: You know, such a low rumble; sound when you start the engine "Rolls Royce". It was just wonderful to hear!

The Boeing 747 could fly with one engine, but it was not powerful enough to fly over the mountains. Fortunately, another engine came to life with a sneeze. He was quickly followed by the remaining two. The crash was almost inevitable. But the plane was operating at full capacity again.

Passenger: Then I realized that we could fly. Maybe not to Perth, but to some airport. That's all we wanted: to sit on the ground.

The pilots understood that the plane had to be landed as quickly as possible and sent it to Halim. The captain began the climb to ensure there was enough space between the airliner and the mountains. Suddenly, strange lights began to flicker again in front of the plane - harbingers of a crisis. The speed was good, and the pilots hoped that they would have time to reach runway. But the plane came under attack again. The second engine failed. A fiery tail trailed behind him. The captain had to turn it off again.

Captain: I'm not a coward, but when 4 engines work, then suddenly don't, and then work again - it's a nightmare. Yes, any pilot will quickly turn it off, because it’s scary!

The plane was approaching the airport. The co-pilot thought that the windshield was fogged up, because nothing could be seen through it. They turned on the fans. It didn't work. Then the pilots turned on the windshield wipers. There was still no effect. Somehow the glass itself was damaged.

Captain: I looked at the corner of the windshield. Through a thin strip, about 5 centimeters wide, I saw everything much more clearly. But I couldn't see anything from the front.

The crew was awaiting the latest bad news. The ground equipment that helped them descend at the correct angle did not work. After all the problems they had to endure, the pilots had to land the plane manually. With every effort, the crew did it. The plane touched down softly and soon stopped.

Captain: It seemed like the plane landed on its own. It was like he kissed the ground. It was wonderful.

The passengers rejoiced. When the plane landed at the airport, they began to celebrate the end of the ordeal. But they were wondering what happened. The fire was never discovered. Where did the smoke in the cabin come from? And how could all the engines fail at the same time? The crew also breathed a sigh of relief, but they were bothered by the thought that they were somehow to blame.

Captain: After we drove the plane to the parking lot and turned everything off, we started checking all the documents. I wanted to find at least something that could warn us about problems.

The Boeing 747 was heavily damaged. The crew realized that their glass had been scratched on the outside. They also saw bare metal where the paint had worn off. After a nearly sleepless night in Jakarta, the pilots returned to the airport to inspect the aircraft.

Co-pilot: We looked at the airliner in the daylight. It has lost its metallic shine. Some places were scratched by sand. The paint and stickers are peeling off. There was nothing to see until the engines were removed.

The engines were manufactured by Rolls Royce. They were taken off the plane and sent to London. Already in England, experts began their work. Soon the investigators were amazed by what they saw. The engines were very badly scratched. Experts found that they were clogged with fine dust, particles of stones and sand. After careful examination, it was determined that it was volcanic ash. A few days later, everyone learned that the Galunggung volcano erupted on the night of the flight. It was located just 160 kilometers southeast of Jakarta. In the 80s, this volcano erupted quite often. The eruptions were very large. Just as the plane was flying overhead, the volcano exploded again. The ash cloud rose to a height of 15 kilometers, and the winds drove it to the southwest, directly towards British Airways Flight 9. Before this incident, volcanoes did not seriously interfere with aircraft. Did volcanic ash really cause the accident?

Expert: Unlike ordinary ash, this is not a soft material at all. These are highly crushed pieces of rocks and minerals. This is a very abrasive material and has many sharp edges. This caused numerous scratches.

In addition to affecting the glass and paint of the plane, the ash cloud caused other strange incidents on Flight 9. At altitude, frictional electrification appeared. Hence the lights we call St. Elmo's fire. The electrification also caused disruptions in the plane's communications systems. The same ash particles entered the aircraft cabin and caused suffocation among passengers.

As for the engines, the ashes also had a fatal significance here. Molten ash penetrated deep into the engine and clogged it. There was a severe disturbance in the air flow inside the engine. The composition of the fuel was disrupted: there was too much fuel and not enough air. This caused flames to appear behind the turbines, and later their failure. Choked by a cloud of ash, the engines on board the Boeing 747 stalled. The plane was saved by natural processes.

Expert: As soon as the plane left the ash cloud, everything gradually cooled down. This was enough for the hardened particles to fall off and the engines to start again.

When the engines were sufficiently cleared of molten ash, the pilots' frantic attempts to start the plane were successful.

Expert: We learned a lot. This knowledge later became part of pilot training. Pilots now know what signs indicate they are in an ash cloud. These signs include the smell of sulfur in the cabin, dust, and the sight of St. Elmo's lights at night. Also civil Aviation began to collaborate more closely with geologists who study volcanoes.

Months after the incredible night, the crew of Flight 9 were showered with awards and accolades. All crew members showed unprecedented professionalism. They managed to save the plane magnificently. Simply fantastic! The surviving passengers of Flight 9 still communicate with each other.

Flying is a challenging experience for many people, and passengers are always worried that something might go wrong several thousand meters above the ground. So what actually happens when an engine fails mid-flight? Is this really the time to panic?

The reasons for engine failure in flight can be a lack of fuel, as well as the ingestion of birds and volcanic ash.

Are we really going to fall?!

Although it may seem like the plane will crash if the engine stops working, fortunately, this is not the case at all.

For pilots, flying a plane at idle is not unusual. Two pilots, who wished to remain anonymous, told the truth to Express.co.uk. “If one engine fails mid-flight, it does not pose too much of a problem, since modern aircraft can fly on one engine,” one pilot told the publication.

Modern aircraft are designed to glide over fairly long distances without the use of engines. Considering a large number of airports in the world, the ship will most likely fly to the landing site and be able to land.

If a plane flies with one engine, there is no reason to panic.

What to do if one engine fails - step-by-step instructions

A pilot from another airline explained step by step what steps they take when an engine fails. It is necessary to set a certain speed and get maximum performance from the second running engine.

Should I tell passengers?

Sitting in the cabin, you may not realize that the engine has failed. Whether the captain tells passengers what happened "depends very much on the specific situation as well as airline policy." This is the captain's decision.

If engine failure is obvious to passengers, then the captain must explain the situation to them truthfully. But to avoid panic if no one notices anything, you can remain silent.

Successful landings

In 1982, a British Airways flight to Jakarta, Indonesia was struck by volcanic ash at 11,000 meters and caused all four engines to fail. The pilot managed to hold the plane for 23 minutes, he flew 91 miles in this way and slowly descended from an altitude of 11 km to 3600 m. During this time, the team managed to restart all engines and land safely. And this is not the only happy occasion.

In 2001, while flying over Atlantic Ocean Both engines failed on an Air Transat plane with 293 passengers and 13 crew on board. The ship glided for 19 minutes and flew about 120 kilometers before making a hard landing at Lajes Airport (Pico Island). Everyone survived, and the airliner received a “gold medal” as the aircraft that covered the greatest distance at idle speed.

Maybe! There were cases, and quite often. And not only in the Air Force, but also in civil aviation.

I’m too lazy to look, but right now I can only remember: in 2004, a Tushka (TU-154) crashed at the Chelyabinsk airport, with three engines turned off, I don’t remember the details, if you want, you can look somewhere in news blogs, I remember exactly the case It was winter in December or January.

And from what I know, this is: Instructions for Mig-17 - "VIII. SPECIAL CASES IN FLIGHT"

PILOT'S ACTIONS IN THE EVENT OF ENGINE SELF-SHUTDOWN IN FLIGHT

Pay attention to the point -371

370 . In the event of an engine shutdown during flight in simple weather conditions, you must:

Close the stop valve immediately;

Move the engine control lever back to the ground idle stop;

Report by radio to the control center about the engine stop, flight altitude and location;

Turn off all circuit breakers, except for the circuit breakers of the radio station and the aircraft radio identification transponder (SRO), as well as instruments and units that ensure the engine starts and operates in flight, and the elevator and aileron trimmers.

371 . If the engine turns itself off at an altitude of less than 2000 m, you should not try to start it; depending on the situation, the pilot must:

When you are near an airfield at which the flight altitude allows you to glide, land with the landing gear extended;

When flying over flat terrain (meadow, arable land), make forced landing with the landing gear retracted;

When flying over terrain unsuitable for making an emergency landing with the landing gear retracted, eject from the aircraft.

372 . If the engine switches off at an altitude of more than 2000 m, start the engine. If the engine cannot be started up to an altitude of 2000 m, then the pilot must act as indicated above.

373 . When stopping the engine at an altitude of more than 11,000 m, descend at the maximum possible vertical speed to an altitude of 11,000-10,000 m, while monitoring the flight speed.

374 . In the event of an engine shutdown during flight in difficult weather conditions, the pilot is obliged at an altitude of more than 2000 m:

Close the stop valve;

Place the aircraft in descent mode;

Turn off all electrical consumers, except for the attitude indicator, the DGMK compass, the radio station and the aircraft radio identification transponder (SRO), as well as instruments and units that ensure the engine starts and operates in flight, and the elevator and aileron trimmers;

Report the engine stop to the gearbox;

Descent until leaving the clouds only in a straight line;

When leaving the clouds above 2000 m, start the engine.

375 . If the pilot, while descending in the clouds with the engine stopped to an altitude of 2000 m, does not emerge from the clouds, or if, after leaving the clouds, the aircraft is located over terrain that does not ensure the preservation of the pilot’s life during an emergency landing, he is obliged to leave the aircraft by ejection.

376 . In all cases of engine shutdown while flying in clouds at an altitude of less than 2000 m, the pilot is obliged to eject from the aircraft.

377 . In cases where the engine stops while flying at night at altitudes above 2000 m, the pilot starts the engine. If the engine does not start up to an altitude of 2000 m and the possibility of landing at his airfield on the illuminated runway is excluded, the pilot is obliged to leave the aircraft by ejection.

Landing with the engines inoperative is in itself more than a difficult flight situation. For example, pilots on twin-engine aircraft in military aviation practice a flight only with an imitation of one engine failure (IOD), this is when one engine is set to MG mode and a flight is carried out to pilot the aircraft, then an approach and landing itself with an IOD. As it later turned out in practice, flying with an IOD and flying with the engine turned off are TWO VERY BIG DIFFERENCES. Despite the fact that the engines are installed almost close to the aircraft axis, the resulting turning moments are quite large and unexpected.

But landing without an engine (more precisely, its imitation) was practiced only if it was provided for in the Pilot’s Instructions, and the exercise was performed on a pre-selected site with the required dimensions or when landing at one’s own airfield, when each bush is its own, so to speak. As a rule, on training aircraft and with an instructor.
Therefore, cases of landing without engines on civil aircraft are a rather unique phenomenon:
1. It’s easier to land in the fog.
2. No skills.
3. Responsibility - the lives of passengers
4. Your life after the third point
etc.

The number of such landings depends on the chosen time of aviation, on piston aircraft - this was a very common phenomenon, there were such engines and there were such aircraft - some provided assistance, others allowed you to land wherever possible.
IN jet aviation forced landings began to end in disaster more often; this became a phenomenon when, during testing of the first jet supersonic aircraft, the test pilots attempted to save the aircraft and preserve the cause of the failure by performing an emergency landing.
Although as they say, to whom is heaven, to whom is hell. The cadets managed to regularly land without an engine - apparently the saying that fools are lucky was fully manifested here.
So, let's begin.
Much-hyped, it’s already familiar to us. If so, read it.
From the Soviet well-known cases -

Less known, but more modern history about Tu-204.
On January 14, 2002, the Tu-204 landed in Omsk with its engines not working. When landing, the plane rolled out of the runway by more than 400 meters. None of the passengers were injured. It seems so banal...
On January 14, 2002 there was a serious aviation incident with the Tu-204 RA-64011 aircraft of Sibir Airlines.
The crew was operating flight 852 on the route Frankfurt am Main - Tolmachevo. There were 117 passengers and 22 crew members on board. According to the MSRP, the aircraft had 28,197 kg of fuel before takeoff. Barnaul was chosen as an alternate airfield. The flight along the route was carried out at an altitude of 10,100 meters. Before descending for landing at Tolmachevo airport, according to MSRP data, there were 5443 kg of fuel on board the aircraft. At the alternate airfield of Barnaul, the weather conditions did not correspond to the minimum weather conditions, and therefore the crew chose the alternate airfield of Omsk (the amount of fuel for departure to it, according to the crew’s calculations, should be 4800 kg).
Due to the expectation of improved weather conditions at the Tolmachevo airfield, the crew performed a flight pattern at an altitude of 1,500 meters for about 10 minutes, after which they began their approach. While performing the landing approach, the crew received information that the crosswind component exceeded the limits established by the flight manual of the Tu-204 aircraft and, with the flight guide, decided to proceed to the alternate airfield Omsk if, according to the crew, there were 4800 kg of fuel on board the aircraft (according to MSRP- 4064 kg). The weather forecast for the Novosibirsk-Omsk route included a headwind of 120-140 km/h. While climbing, the alarm about the reserve fuel balance of 2600 kg went off; according to the crew’s explanations, the balance was 3600 kg (according to MSRP - 3157 kg). The investigation commission found that the crew allowed the possibility of landing with the engines inoperative, and therefore the descent from the flight level of 9600 meters began at a distance of 150 km (direct approach). At an altitude of about 1600 m and a distance of 17-14 km from the airfield, a sequential shutdown of the engines occurred. After the emergency release of the mechanization and landing gear, the crew landed on the runway with a flight distance of 1,480 meters. During the run, emergency braking was applied. The plane rolled off the runway at a speed of about 150 km/h, destroying 14 lights while moving along the checkpoint and stopping at a distance of 452 meters from the end of the runway. Passengers and crew were not injured; the tire tires had minor damage. The investigation into this event continues. It should be noted that weather forecasts for the airfields of Novosibirsk (in terms of visibility) and Omsk (in terms of wind and visibility) did not come true.

Even less well known is the accident of the Yak-40 of the Ukrainian CAA near Armavir on December 7, 1976.
At 18:14 Moscow time when approaching the airport Mineralnye Vody the crew received instructions from the dispatcher to leave for an alternate airfield due to difficult weather conditions in the area of ​​the MinVod airport (fog, visibility less than 300 m). The crew requested landing at Stavropol airport. The dispatcher did not give permission for it, saying that there was fog in Stavropol with visibility of 300 m. The plane was sent to Krasnodar airport with little fuel remaining. Since, according to the crew’s calculations, there was not enough fuel to reach Krasnodar, it was decided to make an emergency landing at a military airfield in Armavir. On the pre-landing straight, the engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The crew managed to make an emergency landing in a field 2 km from the runway. The plane stopped among small trees. None of the passengers or crew members on board were injured. The plane was damaged and was written off.
During the investigation, it was established that at the time when the crew was denied landing in Stavropol, visibility in the area of ​​its airport was not below the minimum and amounted to 700 m, which made it possible to land.

Well, military aviation happens in different ways - for example, the landing of a twin Su-7u after the engine stops after passing the DPRM, that is, at an altitude of about 200 m due to the failure of the fuel pumps. A Su-7u without an engine is aerodynamically equal to a brick. But here the instructor’s experience worked - they sat right in front of them, they didn’t choose the field - here they were 1001% lucky /
1981 Millerovo airfield.

And then the good old An-12 showed its advantage, and even in an open field, it can do anything if the commander shows how.

Although it happens...
An-8 crash ICHP Avia (Novosibirsk) near Chita airport October 30, 1992 RA-69346
The plane belonged to NAPO im. Chkalov, was leased to IChP Avia (Novosibirsk) and operated a commercial flight on the route Elizovo - Okha - Mogocha - Chita - Novosibirsk. There were 9 passengers on board, including two service passengers, all Russian citizens. The load was 3 passenger car Toyota and fish products in cardboard boxes. The declared cargo weight is 4,260 kg. When landing at night in normal weather conditions, on the pre-landing straight, at a distance of 6 km from the runway threshold, the aircraft mark disappeared on the control radar screen and radio communication with the crew stopped. The aircraft was found at a distance of 1,600 meters from the threshold of the Chita airfield runway. The crew and 8 passengers were killed, one passenger was seriously injured and subsequently died. The aircraft was completely destroyed from the flight deck to the cargo compartment. The commission found that the landing approach was carried out with a low fuel balance and a landing weight exceeding the permissible weight by approximately 5 tons. Due to fuel exhaustion, the right engine stopped before the fourth turn, and the left engine stopped on the landing straight. The plane began to descend and, at a distance of 1,657 m from the runway, collided with the ground, and then, after running 15 m, with sand dumps. The disaster occurred at 04:47 local time (22:47 Moscow time on October 29).