ENGINES OUT

It does not fall like a rock.

Gold glides forward. Red drops straight down.

From cruise. Same height. Not the same path.

HUDSON · US AIRWAYS 1549

2,818 ft

3.5 min

Ditched. Everyone survived.

Low. Short. Still a glide.

ENGINES ON

Lift holds it up.

LIFT WEIGHT THRUST DRAG

Thrust does not hold the plane up.

Thrust only balances drag.

THRUST GONE

It becomes a glider.

DOWN GLIDE THRUST 0 LIFT WEIGHT DRAG Weight takes over along the path

About 3.4° for a 17:1 glide.

A rock’s path is 90°.

SAME DROP

Miles forward.

heightdistance

Airliner · A320 · 17 : 1
Light jet · 12 : 1
Light jet · 14 : 1

Red is the drop. Gold is how far forward.

No published ratio for a named large private jet.

ALSO REAL

GIMLI · AIR CANADA 143

35,000 ft

45 miles from the field

Landed.

AZORES · AIR TRANSAT 236

FL 345

65 nm out · 19 min

Landed.

65 nm was the distance to the runway.

THE NUMBERS

17 : 1 A320. Filippone (L/D)max. Some of his figures are estimated.

12–14 : 1 Light jets. AOPA Pilot, Sept 2020. Not one named type.

2,818 ft · about 3.5 min Hudson. NTSB.

35,000 ft · 45 miles Gimli. Inquiry. No time in that report.

FL345 · 65 nm · 19 min Azores. Portuguese report.

Distance = height × ratio.

Controls still work in the airflow. On these two Airbuses, a RAT kept power on.