Smartly detailed in Air Disaster Volume 2...by Macauther Job. Walter DCA Fan of St. Elmos Fire...(not the film) ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jean-Michel_Gammon@albint.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > Well, all aircraft have a glide ratio, and large airliners have a > surprisingly good one (on the other hand my Cherokee glides like a brick). > > The funny thing is that this has already been tested, at least on a 747. > Some years ago a 747, flying at night, flew through a cloud of volcanic > ash near Indonesia and as a result ALL FOUR engines failed in short order. > As memory recalls they set up a glide and were headed for one of the > islands but might have required ditching. Fortunately they were able to > get some re-lit and managed to land, but with an opaque windscreen > (sandblasted). > > With typical droll British understatement the captain announced over the > PA: "This is your Captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four > engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. > I trust you are not in too much distress". > > I have a book at home with a description of the event. By all standards > the crew should be credited with heroic airmanship. The accident happened > in 1982. > > Mike Gammon > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <UPSplane@aol.com> > To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 11:19 PM > Subject: On a wing and a prayer.... > > > I saw the NBC TV special on Tuesday night about the Air Transat A330 > that > > lost power to both engines over the Atlantic from YYZ-LIS... > > Just curious folks, but what are the chances of a 747 or say a DC10/MD11 > > being able to glide like that for over a half hour without engine power > and > > land the way the A330 did?? These seem a lot bulkier in the aerodynamics > dept > > than the A330 or even the Gimli Glider AC 767 from a few year back. > > > > > > Carlos Borda > > Carlos' Airliner Images! > > http://members.aol.com/upsplane/homepage.html > > http://airliners.net/search/photo.search?emailsearch=upsplane@aol.com > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > > >