What happens if an airplanes engine stops working?
It all depends on altitude. If a plane is at 5500 ft AGL, then it can glide to the nearest airport and usually land safely. If the plane is taking off and it’s 50 ft AGL, it could simply land on the runway below. Other situations can be better or worse. It is always a risk, especially for the occupants of the aircraft. But pilots train for this contingency. Simulated “engine-outs” are conducted in basic training and are also part of the FAA pilot flight exam. In a rural area, there are usually places, such a open fields and little-used roads, for a plane to make an emergency landing without endangering anyone on the ground. Still, no one wants this to happen. The major goal of aircraft design and pilot training is to prevent these emergencies. As it happens, the most common cause of an engine-out is running out of fuel. This is entirely the fault of the pilot. On the other hand, total engine failures caused by mechanical problems are very rare.
