How do pilots land airliners safely in the event of a complete power loss?
If a plane loses all power – including hydraulic – how do pilots control and land safely?
– John A., Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Some airplanes have manual capability to move the flight controls, allowing planes to be landed with no hydraulic power.
Other airplanes have multiple (three to four) hydraulic systems, reducing the possibility of a total hydraulic loss to near zero.
Hydraulic pumps are both engine-driven and electrically driven for redundancy. Some airplanes have a ram air turbine that is lowered when electrical power is lost to provide a backup to power a hydraulic pump and limited electrical generator.
As for the loss of the engines, all airplanes can glide to a landing.
Do you see a continued future for the Boeing 747 as a freight carrier?
– Michael Murphy, Yucaipa, California
Yes, the 747 will continue to fly as a freighter for many years to come. It has the ability to accept both large volume and large weights of cargo, which make it a valuable addition to a cargo/freight airline.
In fact, UPS just added a brand new B747-8 to add to its fleet late last year. I believe it will be in service for 20-plus years.
► RIP, passenger 747s: Delta Air Lines sends its last Boeing 747 to Arizona 'boneyard'
► Early retirement: British Airways retires Boeing 747 fleet early due to COVID-19 travel downturn
John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Air travel: How do pilots land a plane if they lose all power?
