If you've ever seen movies like "Sully" or "Final Descent," you might think that air emergencies only happen once every few decades. But according to aviation experts, some of them are more common than we realize.
Dr. Guido Carim Junior, an aviation lecturer at Griffith University in Australia, explains that four scary technical problems in flight are “just a daily part of flying.” Pilots train for these scenarios constantly, practicing them in simulations over and over again.
Although most cases do not end in tragedy, they are often accompanied by dramatic emergency landings, loss of altitude, and panic among passengers.
Here are the 4 scariest problems that can happen in the air:
1. Engine failure – the worst-case scenario
Commercial aircraft usually have two engines. In the event that one fails, the other is sufficient to keep the aircraft in the air. However, any engine failure is treated with the utmost seriousness.
Pilots immediately follow a precise list of procedures: shutting down the problematic engine, landing at a suitable altitude, and diverting to the nearest airport.
Tragic example: In 2015, TransAsia Airways Flight 235 suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff, but the pilots mistakenly shut down the other engine. The plane crashed into a river in Taipei, killing 43 people.
Happy example: In 2009, a flock of birds caused both engines of US Airways Flight 1549 to fail. Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger managed to land the plane on the Hudson River in New York, saving the 155 people on board.
Cases where both engines stop are extremely rare, but when they do happen, they often become legendary.
2. Problems with wheels and brakes
The aircraft's wheels remain hidden during flight and only come out before landing. They also include the braking system, which is vital for stopping a plane weighing hundreds of tons.
What happens when the system fails?
If the wheels do not deploy, the aircraft must land on its belly. Passengers are warned with the command "brace for impact."
If the brakes don't work, pilots use "reverse thrust" - the power of the engines to slow the plane - and choose long runways.
Real example: In December 2023, a Qantas plane made an emergency return to Brisbane due to wheel problems. Passengers were told to keep their heads down and stay hunched over, but the plane landed successfully.
3. Loss of cabin pressure
Planes fly at altitudes of around 11 km, where oxygen is scarce. For this reason, the cabin is kept pressurized so that passengers can breathe normally.
In the event of a malfunction, passengers feel it immediately: their ears become blocked, oxygen masks fall from the ceiling, and the plane begins a rapid, controlled descent.
Dramatic example: In January 2024, an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a sudden depressurization when a door detached from the fuselage just 6 minutes after takeoff. Fortunately, it was at a low altitude, and there were no casualties. If it had happened at 36,000 feet (11km), passengers would have lost consciousness within seconds.
4. Defects in flight control systems
The aircraft is steered by several special surfaces such as the rudder and the ailerons. These are controlled by hydraulic or electrical systems.
Even if a system fails, aircraft are built with layers of safety and redundancy. The pilot can use alternate controls and usually returns to the airport urgently.
Why is there no reason to panic?
According to Dr. Junior, although these scenarios seem like the end of the world to passengers, the reality is quite different:
Pilots train for hundreds of hours to manage these situations.
Every aircraft has warning systems and a plan B for every eventuality.
Most emergencies end with a safe landing and no casualties.
"An emergency landing or an unexpected descent does not mean disaster. In fact, it means that the safety system is doing exactly what it was built to do," he explains. /GazetaExpress/
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