Can the big aeroplanes glide in case all its turbine engines failed?
Yes all big aeroplanes (or airplanes) can glide. The engines really have nothing to do with keeping an airplane up in the air, as that is lift provided by the wings. All the engines do is provide the speed so that the wings can provide enough lift to fly. Without engines, most large jets would have a glide ratio of between 10:1 and 15:1 (ie, for every 1 foot of altitude lost they could cover 10-15 feet horizontally) depending on their speed and a few other factors. So a jet flying at 40,000 feet could glide about 100 miles or 160 km. Being able to control a plane with complex hydraulic and electrical systems that are powered from the engines is another story. It has been proven that airplanes can glide without engines, as I am aware of two “heavy” commercial jets actually running out of fuel: Air Canada – a B767 over Manitoba, Canada on July 23, 1983 Air TransAt – an A330 over the Atlantic Ocean on August 24, 2001 Both of these planes landed safely with no damage other than to the land
