Lost an engine on a flight yesterday

[darkswordsman17]

Hope some poor bastard didn't get Donnie Darko'ed!

That's fucking crazy though! I'd have been nervous as shit but probably would've sat there quietly observing everyone else like you were (not sure I'd be able to handle looking out the window but might would be glued to it instead just to reassure myself that things were relatively stable, but the moment they weren't I'd probably just close my eyes and wait for the crash).

 

[Red Squirrel]

My default reaction is everything is ok until it isn't. So until the thing starts dropping, I'm not going to freak out about it - no good will come of it if you do. Sounds easier said than done but I've had practice in my time.

That's kind of my train of thought as well. Or if I'm in a situation I've never been in before and see that everyone else is in panic, then maybe I should be in panic too.

 

[Tweak155]

That experience would likely prevent me from flying ever again. I have 2 flights in November... why did I read this?

 

[allisolm]

Many, many years ago I was returning to college in a 4-engine prop plane. We had taken off not long before I looked out the window and saw that one of the 2 propellers on my side was not going and flames were streaming from the engine. I looked up and all around and everyone seemed to be fine and going about their business. I leaned across the aisle and said to the elderly gentleman there "Sir, are your engines okay because one of mine has stopped and is on fire." He immediately started hyperventilating and I thought," Oh, great. Not only am I going to die, I will have to have it on my conscience that I caused this men to have a heart attack or a stroke or something."

Just about then the pilot came on and said "Due to a mechanical malfunction we will be returning to the airport." Yeah, mechanical malfunction my ass. The engine's on fire! Fortunately we landed safely on a foamed runway and the guy across from me was fine, but I still try to keep an eye on the engines when I can. In the back of my mind I knew that the plane could fly with 3 engines, but the fire was my big concern. A bit scary at the time but I was about 19 and immortal.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Also long ago, I was on a flight (some jumbo jet) that lost an engine over North Dakota. I remember being a little disappointed they decided to return to Minneapolis rather than just continuing on to Seattle. Two out of three seems much better to me than one out of two (through engines are much more reliable and powerful these days).

And don't count on gliding in to a safe landing on a passenger jet. It can probably be done under just the right circumstances, but when was the last time it happened? Unlike small planes which do throttle-out landings all the time (good practice for emergency landings), passenger jets need power to keep airspeed up with their flaps extended for lift at lower speeds. So your best case is being close enough to a suitable runway and landing flaps up at high speed and hoping for the best.

 

[rh71]

You mean to tell me engines aren't like kidneys? Having just one isn't just fine...?

 

[dawp]

not exactly the same but during the early 2000s, while traveling to visit parents, boarded a turboprop and we took-off from chicago midway if I remember right heading to MKE during a snow storm, ended up circling Milwaukee waiting for the weather to lift, could not see ground at all, after several hours we headed back to chicago, a fellow passenger rented a car and we drove up during one of the worst blizzards in years.

 

[skyking]

Nice story
I've had a couple of engine issues over the years. In the single, hey you are just looking for the best landing spot.
They were not as freaky as a jammed aileron autopilot on a twin Comanche.
I could not overpower the jammed cable, and frankly did not want to chance breaking something. I had enough right aileron to get it level very slowly, with a little over rudder. My concern was if I did have an engine problem, it would get really ugly fast. I made a really big pattern and got that !@#%% on the ground right away.

 

[destrekor]

Sounds like the crew did a great job and glad to hear everything turned out ok. Despite all my flying I've not had any issues like that. I've only ever heard a call for a Dr. once too

Yeah it's weird, I haven't really experienced anything that's all that exciting in air travel. Granted I don't fly all that often, like a round trip once a year or twice a year, so the odds are rare. But it's funny you mentioned a medical issue/call for doctor; the only time I've experienced this it was with a relative having a seizure. The only other excitement is from occasional turbulence, but nothing that's caused a single injury or luggage to tumble out from overhead -- it's only been turbulence I've found to be exciting and a good rush. lol