Can a commercial aircraft flight if there is no motor's power or will fall like a rock??

Question

Can a commercial aircraft flight if there is no motor's power or will fall like a rock??

Answer 1

Dear Ed,

There aren't many airplanes that do not have a glide ratio (horizontal distance  versus distance dropped) greater than a rock.  That being said, commercial aircraft are mostly about power rather than finesse.  While a small plane like a Cessna 150 has a glide ratio of around 6, most large craft fall much faster.

It is possible to bring a large plane in without power, but it is tricky and keeping it above stall speed while still making the runway requires a lot of luck.  But in the end, any landing is a crash, controlled or not depends on the skill of the pilot and the power available.

There is a reason that so many of the big planes are referred to as "heavy #" when talking to the tower.

Tiger Toy

Answer 2

23:1 for a 737 w/o winglets.  29:1 with winglets.

Answer 3

No airplane will "fall" when the engine or engines stop.  A Boeing 747 at 30,000 feet will glide approximately 52 miles, which gives the crew an area of about 2,100 square miles in which to find a place to land safely.

This is very unlikely to happen in a modern multi-engine jet airplane.  Jet engines are highly reliable, and do not stop very often.  Your crew is trained to handle the situation if it should happen.

Answer 4

Nope, due to the wings and aerodynamic properties of the Aircraft, it'll become a glider and depending on the size of the wing and Aircraftw will depend on how further the plane will glide.

Answer 5

It will NOT fall like a rock, but it WILL glide and eventually make contact with earth hard enough to go into many pieces. With luck, some will survive.

Answer 6

No. Because the aircraft is still moving forward, it still creates lift and becomes a glider. Then, it uses its altitute as a source of energy to maintain that forward speed to create lift.

Answer 7

it will fly but at an angle down words

Answer 8

generally commercial aircraft glide poorly but they can glide. also most have a ram-air-turbine which can be used to provide hydraulic pressure in the event of engine failure.

Answer 9

Commercial aircraft have a very good glide ratio. As an example the 747 has a L/D ratio of 17:1 In other words if all the engines fail then the aircraft is still an excellent glider. Whether the flight will end safely depends upon the skill of the pilot. And they are very good. The biggest threat is fire, or lose of control. If all the engines fail right after takeoff then the out come is usually very bad.

Answer 10

All jet liners can glide to a safe landing if the engines fail, provided there is a suitable airport in range.  A "deadstick landing" in a commercial jet is indeed a very rare event. It is so rare that it is not even practiced in a simulator by most airlines. I tried the sim a few times, and I can assure you that its a handfull...but it is possible!

The glide ratio will depend on several factors including wing configuration, landing gear up/down, speed, and DA.  

Do a search for "Gimli Glider" and you will see proof that a modern large jet can be safely landed after running out of fuel due to a fuel loading miscalculation.