Back in the day, flying over oceans felt safer on planes like the Boeing 747, Airbus A340, and MD-11 because they had more than two engines. If one engine went out, you still had backups. But times have changed. Now, long-haul flights are mostly handled by twin-engine jets like the Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A350, Boeing 787, and Airbus A330neo. So, what happens if one engine fails midflight? How far can these kinds of planes go?
Don’t worry; modern twin-engine jets are built to fly long distances even with just one engine. So, there’s really no need to stress about it when you’re on a long-haul flight.
ETOPS Ratings
When it comes to twin-engine planes, there’s something called an ETOPS rating. ETOPS stands for Extended Twin-Engine Operations. This rating tells us how long a plane can fly with one engine out. The higher the rating, the longer the plane can keep going. You can read more here.
For instance, a Boeing 787 can keep flying for five and a half hours with just one engine. On the other hand, the Boeing 767 has an ETOPS rating of 180 minutes, which means it can fly for three hours on one engine.
Airbus is not far behind in the game. The A330neo has an ETOPS rating that goes beyond 180 minutes. If you’re flying on an Airbus A350, you’re in luck. It has an ETOPS rating of 370 minutes, allowing it to fly for over six hours with one engine out. Even narrowbody planes like the Airbus A321LR are getting in on the action with an ETOPS rating of 180 minutes. This makes them suitable for transatlantic routes.
What Pilots Do When an Engine Fails
Pilots follow a simple rule summed up by the acronym Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. First, they make sure the plane is under control. Then they check the plane’s path and adjust as needed. Finally, they communicate the situation to Air Traffic Control and others who need to know.
Depending on the severity of the engine issue, the response might vary. If there’s an engine fire, for example, pilots have a set of immediate actions to take, like shutting down the engine and using fire extinguishers.
The chances of experiencing an engine failure are extremely low. We’re talking about a one-in-a-million scenario here. Most pilots only encounter this situation during training simulations. So, the next time you’re up in the air, you can sit back and relax, knowing that you’re in good hands.
You now have nothing to worry about when flying long-haul transatlantic or transpacific flights on twin-engine jets. These planes are built to handle one-engine situations, and pilots are trained to keep you safe. It’s all part of making sure air travel remains one of the safest ways to get from point A to point B.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
