Dual Engine Failure: What Happens When All the Engines Fail in Flight

Key Takeaways

• A dual engine failure turns an aircraft into a very heavy glider; it does not simply fall from the sky.
• Pilots use checklists, dual engine restart procedures, and backup power systems like the RAT, batteries, and auxiliary power unit.
• Real cases such as us airways flight 1549, Air Transat Flight 236, and the gimli glider show that a safe emergency landing is possible.
• Dual engine failure is extremely rare in commercial aircraft and usually involves external factors, fuel issues, or maintenance errors.
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What Is Dual Engine Failure and How Do Planes Stay Airborne?

Dual engine failure means all the engines on a multi-engine aircraft stop producing usable engine thrust. In aviation, such an incident is a critical, yet highly rare, emergency situation where both engines on an aircraft stop producing thrust simultaneously.

When engines fail, the plane loses thrust but can still fly. Loss of thrust results in the aircraft transforming into a very heavy glider. It must trade altitude for forward airspeed, keeping air over the wings to prevent a stall.

Modern airliners often descend with near-idle engine power, so pilots understand low-thrust flight. The first steps are:

1. Recognize engine failure and confirm all the engines are affected.
2. Establish glide speed and stabilize descent.
3. Begin emergency procedures and attempt to restart engines.

The First Seconds After All Engines Failed

The first 10–20 seconds after a double engine failure, whether at cruising altitude or after take off, are critical. Pilots are extensively trained for dual engine failures, with the priority of maintaining control and managing the aircraft’s energy.

Crews follow “aviate, navigate, communicate.” They fly the airplane first, then choose a heading, then contact air traffic control. The crew will broadcast an emergency distress signal, “Mayday,” to alert Air Traffic Control of their position and intentions.

Immediate actions include:

1. Pitch to best glide speed.
2. Confirm loss of engine power using alerts and instruments.
3. Start engine restart procedures.
4. Select a runway, airport, water area, or forced landing site.

A typical jet may glide roughly 15:1: for every 1,000 feet of altitude lost, a modern airliner can glide approximately 15,000 feet forward.

Emergency Power Systems When Engines Fail

When jet engines stop, engine-driven generators, hydraulic systems, and bleed air may be lost. Cabin pressurization is lost if it relies on engine bleed air during a dual engine failure.

A dual engine failure necessitates an immediate switch to backup battery power or deployment of a Ram Air Turbine to operate essential flight controls and instruments. The RAT deploys during total loss of AC power, using the airstream to sustain hydraulics, navigation, and essential instruments.

In dual-engine failure, aircraft systems use redundant systems for critical electrical and hydraulic pressure:

• Battery buses power displays and radios before RAT or APU power stabilizes.
• The auxiliary power unit can supply power and bleed air, often below about 30,000 feet.
• An Emergency Power Unit provides electrical continuity to critical systems after complete power loss.

Major Causes of Dual Engine Failures

Double engine failure is extremely rare. It is usually caused by external factors or system-wide problems, not two random engine failures at once.

• Bird strikes: US Airways Flight 1549 lost both engines after striking geese shortly after takeoff in 2009. Captain Chesley Sullenberger and the first officer glided the Airbus A320 into the hudson river, saving all 155 people on board.
• Fuel starvation, fuel leak, or fuel contamination: Air Transat Flight 236 suffered a fuel leak in fuel lines and lost fuel from the fuel system and fuel tanks.
• Volcanic ash: British Airways Flight 9 in 1982 lost four engines before the crew managed engine restart and landed safely.
• Fuel icing: BA38 near london heathrow in 2008 showed how ice can restrict flow to engines.
• Human or maintenance errors: shutting down the wrong engine, fuel miscalculation, or poor maintenance can affect multiple engines.

Data Overview: Real-World Dual Engine Failure Incidents

Selected cases show how altitude, crew training, and restart options affect outcomes.

Flight	Date	Cause of Dual Engine Failure	Glide Distance/Time	Outcome
US Airways Flight 1549	2009	Bird strike after takeoff	About 3½ minutes	Successful landing/ditching in Hudson River
Air Transat Flight 236	2001	Fuel leak	About 65 nautical miles; roughly 17 minutes after last engine failed	Landed safely in the Azores
Air Canada Flight 143	1983	Fuel miscalculation	17 minutes from 41,000 feet	Pilots glided to abandoned Manitoba airstrip
British Airways Flight 9	1982	Volcanic ash	Descent until restart	All engines restarted; safe landing

Glide Performance: How Far Can an Airliner Go With No Engine Power?

Commercial airliners are engineered to be excellent gliders, capable of flying significant distances without power to reach a suitable landing site. At high altitude, glide range depends on weight, wind, flaps, gear, and altitude lost.

• At high altitudes, a jet can typically glide about 60 miles for every 10 miles of altitude lost, giving 20–30 minutes to manage the situation.
• A passenger aircraft can glide approximately 60 miles after losing both engines at 36,000 feet, due to a lift-to-drag ratio around 10:1.
• With a 15:1 ratio, some aircraft may reach 90–120 miles from high cruise in ideal air.
• ETOPS planning and diversion airport spacing help crews avoid being too far from landing options, even if the destination airport is unreachable.

The aircraft cannot maintain altitude without thrust, but it can descend under control.

Engine Restart Procedures and Challenges

After engines have failed, pilots try to restart at least one engine within the in-flight start envelope. Pilots are trained to attempt engine restart procedures because jet engines can sometimes be restarted after a flameout.

The flight crew uses the QRH or electronic checklist to set airspeed, altitude, ignition, fuel configuration, and Fuel Control switches from CUT OFF to RUN. Cross-bleed starts may use one engine, APU bleed, or windmilling airflow.

Restart may fail after bird strikes, compressor stalls, hot starts, residual heat, or damaged hardware. If no engine restart works, pilots commit to glide planning and emergency landing.

Dual Engine Failure During Take Off

Dual engine failure just after takeoff is among aviation safety’s most time-critical emergencies. Low altitude, low speed, and climb configuration leave little room for error.

V1 is the continue-or-stop decision speed, Vr is rotation speed, and V2 is safe climb speed. Before V1, a takeoff can usually be rejected; after V1, pilots may have to fly.

US Airways Flight 1549 showed this challenge: low altitude after take off made a return to LaGuardia unsafe, so the crew chose the Hudson River.

Pilots focus on:

• Immediate pitch control.
• Preventing stall while losing altitude.
• Straight-ahead or shallow-turn forced landing choices.
• Declaring Mayday and working with air traffic control.

Most takeoff failures involve only one engine, not total engine failure.

Training, Checklists, and Redundancy: Why Outcomes Are Usually Safe

Dual engine failure is planned for in aircraft design and pilot training. In the event of dual engine failure, pilots immediately follow a checklist that includes maintaining control of the aircraft, establishing glide speed, and stabilizing the descent.

Simulator sessions practice partial power loss, all-engines-out gliding, runway selection, ditching, and safe emergency landing procedures. Training emphasizes calm checklist use, time management, and landing safely over reaching the original schedule.

Redundancy includes independent fuel systems, separate generators, RAT, APU, multiple hydraulic circuits, and backup flight controls.

• RESQ.com can help passengers and families investigate accidents or serious incidents where procedures, maintenance, airlines, manufacturers, or ground support may have failed.

Passenger Perspective and Legal Support After an Airplane Accident

Passengers may hear silence, feel descent, see oxygen masks, or receive a cockpit announcement. Cabin crew will secure the cabin, brief brace positions, review exits, and prepare evacuation if the plane must land hard or ditch.

Injuries can occur even after successfully landing: impact trauma, smoke inhalation, slide injuries, cold water exposure, or psychological trauma. Keep tickets, boarding passes, photos, medical reports, and crew communications if an incident occurs.

RESQ guides victims through claims, liability review, documentation, and compensation or settlement after an inflight injury or emergency landing. Timely advice matters because deadlines can apply.

FAQs About Dual Engine Failure

How likely is a dual engine failure on a commercial flight?

It is extremely rare, often discussed as an event on the order of billions of engine flight hours. Most flights never experience any failure, and all-engines-out events become famous precisely because they are unusual. Modern maintenance, certification, and redundant systems make commercial air travel very safe.

What should a passenger do if all the engines fail?

Follow crew instructions immediately. Tighten your seat belt, remove sharp objects from pockets, locate nearby exits, and take the brace position when told. Do not stand, film, or block aisles during critical phases. Calm cooperation with cabin crew improves safety for everyone.

Can a plane land safely without any engine power?

Yes. Aircraft have landed safely without thrust. The gimli glider, Air Canada Flight 143, ran out of fuel in 1983; pilots glided for 17 minutes from 41,000 feet and landed safely on an abandoned airstrip in Manitoba. Air Transat Flight 236 also reached the Azores.

Will I be told if the engines failed during my flight?

Usually, yes, once the flight crew has the aircraft under control. During the first moments, pilots must fly, stabilize speed, and coordinate with ATC before making cabin announcements. Clear communication is part of standard airline emergency procedures.