Flying a 737 for over two hours on one engine?

Not quite the same as the 747 that completed its trans-at flight having lost one right after t-o a few years ago.
 
Pilawt said:
Reminds me of the old Soviet-era joke ... In the West if an engine on an airliner won't start, the passengers would freak out and demand compensation. In Soviet Russia they'd pass the hat to raise money to bribe the pilot to take off anyway.
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Back in 2005 when I was working overseas I had occasion to experience my one and only flight in a Yakovlev 40 from Osh airport in southern Kyrgyzstan to the capital, Bishkek. I was the last to board through the rear airstairs, right after an Orthodox priest in full regalia. We were seated across the aisle from each other in the last row. About the time the door closed and the engines started spooling up I noticed that both the silent incantations and the prayer bead work increased dramatically. Not long after take-off I understood why. In the heat it took forever to establish a positive climb, we accelerated at tree-top height for a couple of miles, and the plane had to do a long, slow spiral climb to get out of the Fergana Valley and high enough to clear the terrain before turning on course.

As an aside, when we arrived at Manas International in Bishkek all the windows in the airport terminal had been shot out and the place was pretty well abandoned. We could hear the sound of gunfire in the distance. While I was at a mine site in the remote mountains of the south the Prime Minister initiated a successful coup to overthrow the President while the latter was out of the country.
 
Larry in TN said:
Certainly not legal for a US airline under US regulations.
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What is the reg? Land at nearest airport with a suitable runway? Or can you go to one farther away where it’s easier to deal with the passengers? How far, what’s the limit?
 
luvflyin said:
What is the reg?
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14 CFR 121.565

It requires that the pilot land 'at the nearest suitable airport, in point of time, at which a safe landing can be made'.

121.565(b) goes on to say that for airplanes with three or more engines, 'the pilot-in-command may proceed to an airport that the pilot selects if, after considering the following, the pilot makes a reasonable decision that proceeding to that airport is as safe as landing at the nearest suitable airport'. Then goes on to list the considerations referenced in the first sentence. The Captain would have to be able to give a reasonable basis for his decision to press on to a farther airport.

My only engine shutdown was at 2am over the Indian Ocean. It was a DC8, though, so we pressed on to Singapore arriving, about four horus later, on-time and under burn. Can't do that in a twin.
 
This was a bit sketchy, but probably right on the line of legality. I'd probably not fly the airline.

Kenny Phillips said:
Skirting the ETOPS rules?
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There was no time during the flight where ETOPS was necessary.

Let'sgoflying! said:
Not quite the same as the 747 that completed its trans-at flight having lost one right after t-o a few years ago.
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An single engine failure in a 747, when not catastrophic, may not even be an emergency under some airline SOPs. The BA flight that departed LAX diverted to MAN due to the higher fuel burn cause by 3 engine flight.

Larry in TN said:
Certainly not legal for a US airline under US regulations.
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Eh, it might be.

Kenny Phillips said:
In some cases, these rules apply: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETOPS
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This wasn't ETOPS
 
Larry in TN said:
It is not, if there is a nearer suitable airport in point of time, where a safe landing can be made. Where there any nearer suitable airports?
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What is suitable is up for debate. It doesn't necessarily mean the nearest 6000' runway.
 
GRG55 said:
Back in 2005 when I was working overseas I had occasion to experience my one and only flight in a Yakovlev 40 from Osh airport in southern Kyrgyzstan to the capital, Bishkek. I was the last to board through the rear airstairs, right after an Orthodox priest in full regalia. We were seated across the aisle from each other in the last row. About the time the door closed and the engines started spooling up I noticed that both the silent incantations and the prayer bead work increased dramatically. Not long after take-off I understood why. In the heat it took forever to establish a positive climb, we accelerated at tree-top height for a couple of miles, and the plane had to do a long, slow spiral climb to get out of the Fergana Valley and high enough to clear the terrain before turning on course.

As an aside, when we arrived at Manas International in Bishkek all the windows in the airport terminal had been shot out and the place was pretty well abandoned. We could hear the sound of gunfire in the distance. While I was at a mine site in the remote mountains of the south the Prime Minister initiated a successful coup to overthrow the President while the latter was out of the country.
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Wow.
 
...and here we are (most of us anyway) flying single engine piston planes. I'd still feel safer on a 737 with one engine inoperative than in any piston GA plane
 
Tantalum said:
...and here we are (most of us anyway) flying single engine piston planes. I'd still feel safer on a 737 with one engine inoperative than in any piston GA plane
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...except the Cirrus, cause it has a chute :p
 
N1120A said:
What is suitable is up for debate. It doesn't necessarily mean the nearest 6000' runway.
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As I said earlier, the Captain would have to be able to give a reasonable basis for his decision to press on to a farther airport.
 
With a name like SmartWings there has to be a pun or certain irony in there somewhere..
 
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