So, Half way between Atlanta and MCO, an engine cuts out!

[The Hendies]

I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this VERY scary event?1? We were about 20 minutes out of Atlanta when we hear a loud POP, and the plane sinks quite a bit. this is followed by some tipping back and forth. The flight attendant came back, checked everyone and got her thick flight manual out of her bag. After the pilot did some manuvering to see how the plane was reacting, we turned around and headed back to Atlanta. When we landed there wasn't another airplane anywhere near the landing and the tarmac was wall to wall emergency vehicles! The flight crew was wonderful, and obviously, we lived to tell about it, but it was definately a first for us!

Anyone else have this happen?

 

[skiingfast]

Yes about 25 years ago. Mostly I just remember how much longer it took and the bus from Philly where we landed, to NY where we were supposed to go.

 

[The Hendies]

We did each get an 'on the spot' $50 voucher and when we got home a letter promising another $100. We'll see if they are honored in a few months when we plan out New Orleans Vacation!

 

[DebbieB]

I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this VERY scary event?1? We were about 20 minutes out of Atlanta when we hear a loud POP, and the plane sinks quite a bit. this is followed by some tipping back and forth. The flight attendant came back, checked everyone and got her thick flight manual out of her bag. After the pilot did some manuvering to see how the plane was reacting, we turned around and headed back to Atlanta. When we landed there wasn't another airplane anywhere near the landing and the tarmac was wall to wall emergency vehicles! The flight crew was wonderful, and obviously, we lived to tell about it, but it was definately a first for us!

Anyone else have this happen?

Which Airline?

 

[Elmo007]

I was on an international flight that ran low on fuel and had to stop in Bangor Maine (not uncommon). However, once we landed they decided the plane was also broken and we had to stay in maine overnight till they fixed the plane.

 

[MAH4546]

Airplanes can fly with one engine. They can also safely glide with no engines, receiving power from a small turbine fan that will pop out underneath the plane. It's scary, but an engine flaming out by itself does not present significant danger.

 

[safetymom]

I was on a flight about 8 years ago when the engine exploded. We came in with one engine. We got a $10 food voucher and a night at the local hotel. I complained to the airline and get a free flight voucher.

After we landed on a runway lined with firetrucks and ambulances the pilot announced that he was trained on one engine flying if that mattered at that point.

 

[The Hendies]

We were flying Airtran.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

It sounds like the AirTran pilot did everything he was suppose to and really it was a fairly non-issue, which is a good thing. The airport also acted in accordance to any type of emergency style landing, which also shows the preparedness.

 

[Daddio]

Thanks for shaing your experience. It has never happened to us and I hope it never does. Cudos to the flight crew for handling the situation well.

David

 

[dis_guy]

Not to diminish how the situation was for you but if you could see the scenarios that air crews train on in the simulator on a regular basis, I'm sure many here would never fly again. It's not uncommon for the pilots to come out of "the box" soaked in sweat. So yeah, an engine failure is pretty much the same as a flat tire on the way to work for them. Inconvenient, but just another day at the office.

 

[ccudmore]

Re gliding: the most prominent example was Air Transat flight 236 which, back in 2001, ran out of fuel mid-flight and glided for 20 minutes before doing a near-perfect touch-down in the Azores.

 

[3pletprincesses]

Re gliding: the most prominent example was Air Transat flight 236 which, back in 2001, ran out of fuel mid-flight and glided for 20 minutes before doing a near-perfect touch-down in the Azores.

I was on that flight. Scary situation that ended perfectly.

 

[cm8]

I was on that flight. Scary situation that ended perfectly.

 

[pampam]

Re gliding: the most prominent example was Air Transat flight 236 which, back in 2001, ran out of fuel mid-flight and glided for 20 minutes before doing a near-perfect touch-down in the Azores.

If I've got it right, the fuel was measured in liters instead of gallons. Thats why they ran out of fuel.

 

[AlexDurrani]

I love everyone's description of engine failure or engines catching fire. Explosions usually give me the picture of a lot more damage then making it back to the airport in one piece. I agree with most posters, aircraft are designed to glide in as best as possible as long as there is air moving below the wings.

 

[chartle]

If I've got it right, the fuel was measured in liters instead of gallons. Thats why they ran out of fuel.

I though aviation fuel is measured in pounds not volume.

 

[pr surfer]

If I've got it right, the fuel was measured in liters instead of gallons. Thats why they ran out of fuel.

I believe that's the Gimli Glider you're talking about

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

The Air Transat incident was due to a fuel leak developing in-flight.

 

[Super 27]

I though aviation fuel is measured in pounds not volume.

Here in the US, it is.

The accident that is being referred to here (Air Canada 143) occurred when Canada had just switched to the Metric system, and long story short the flight crew and ground crew applied the wrong conversion factor and ended up with far less fuel than they thought they had.

 

[dis_guy]

Here in the US, it is.

The accident that is being referred to here (Air Canada 143) occurred when Canada had just switched to the Metric system, and long story short the flight crew and ground crew applied the wrong conversion factor and ended up with far less fuel than they thought they had.

And it didn't help that the 767 was pretty new to all concerned at the time of the fuel outage. As in many aircraft incidents the synergy began building until all the little mistakes and oversights became a bigger problem.

Put in a lot of hours on those AC 767s back in the '80s.