When changing a country or city, most people’s first choice is to travel by plane. Watching the clouds and the earth in the sky can be said to be the best travel view. While you are on this beautiful journey, seeing the engines catch fire while you look out the window can turn this journey into hell.
Contrary to popular belief, aircraft engines can fail widely. There are many safety protocols and contingency plans against these failures. If there is no physical malfunction in the engine, passengers will not feel these malfunctions.
First of all, let’s find the answer to this question, how do planes fly?
Before explaining the flying principle of an airplane, you need to know this: The two basic components of airplanes are the engine and the wing; In this way, planes can fly in the air.
As the air enters the engines, the task of the engine begins. At this point, air and fuel mix and burn in a controlled manner. This mixture pushes the piston, causing the propeller to rotate. In this way, the aircraft’s engines can propel the aircraft forward at a high speed.
The wings of the aircraft, on the other hand, allow the air to move faster over the wing thanks to its structure. This reduces the air pressure and the pressure above the wing becomes less than the pressure below the wing. This pressure difference creates a force that lifts the wing.
But what if the engine fails?
Approximately 200 engine failures are recorded from nearly 50 million flights a year. Failure of an engine seems to be the worst scenario to be experienced in an aircraft, but this scenario can be overcome with an experienced pilot.
The vast majority of today’s aircraft have 2 to 4 engines. These engines can fail due to external factors (flock of birds, physical damage, oil leak). Thanks to the structure of the aircraft, even if 1 engine is lost, other engines can compensate for the lack of this engine.
It is difficult for passengers to notice the loss of 1 engine in 4-engine airplanes, if you are in a 2-engine airplane, you can safely complete your flight with the right decisions made by the pilot after the loss of 1 engine.
It is necessary to lower the altitude of the aircraft and to ensure the balance of the aircraft. Then, the pilot will continue the flight by implementing the emergency plans prepared for such scenarios. For example, if an engine fails in an airplane that continues its flight at 30,000 feet, it is expected to drop to 20,000 feet first. Then, a route is created to an airport close to the located location so that the malfunction can be repaired. At this point, for the safety of the aircraft, it is necessary to establish the maximum speed with solid engines and to successfully complete a difficult landing.
After a problem with the engine, the pilot should try to land the aircraft safely, using the airflow. Here, many factors can influence this challenging task.
When will the passengers feel the loss of the engine?
If an engine catches fire or the aircraft becomes unstable, passengers can tell there is something wrong with the engine. Since some electronic circuits are powered by the engine, power cuts in the event of an engine loss may also cause passengers to notice this situation.
In any case, it’s best to keep your cool during a journey. Therefore, if you experience such an event, you should trust the pilots and stay calm.
Sources: NASA, Science ABC
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