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Recently I have completed a 9-hour flight by Boeing-747. It managed to get into a storm with a strong turbulence. While inside the plane I was very much afraid of the possibility of the plane disintegration.

The wings were vibrating so much that it seemed to me that they were about to crack and disconnect.

What's the probability that the wings disconnect from a plane due to turbulence?

Can a plane land successfully without one wing?

I am also concerned with the following:

Will the drop in the plane's speed or increase in the angle of attack lead to the engine surge (experience compressor stall) that leads to stopping of the engine?

Does this surge have positive feedback (i.e. compressor stall in one engine leads to further decrease in speed so that other engines experience it)?

Is it true that the most modern airliners cannot land without engines working?

Does the drop of the speed and rising angle of attack inevitably lead the plane to a flat spin?

Is it true that civil pilots are not trained to get a plane back from a flat spin?

Is it true that civil airliners usually not equipped with anti-spin parachutes so that getting out of flat spin is impossible after first turn?

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  • 4
    I am not even sure how to comment on this....
    – Karlson
    Mar 4, 2013 at 17:46
  • 3
    Too much questions, try to split them
    – Dirty-flow
    Mar 4, 2013 at 17:55
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    @Anixx There is one question you haven't asked: What happens if there is a "bird strike" ?
    – Simon
    Mar 4, 2013 at 20:34
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    Not just chickens but frozen chickens - they like to test against worst case. Mar 5, 2013 at 8:07
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    @Anixx - as per the faq this is a Q&A site, and each question should contain ONE question. I'm closing this, and request that you please ask future questions separately. Thanks!
    – Mark Mayo
    Mar 5, 2013 at 17:21

1 Answer 1

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So, how much it is possible, that the wings disconnect from a plane due to turbulence?

0.000000000000001 percent. The wing is like one piece. It will never disconnect by itself. Unless the plane collide with other plane while airborne.

Can a plain land successfully without one wing?

Technically, it is one wing (because it is one piece), therefore the plane will not land without that wing! Again, the wing can not be disconnected by itself

Will the drop in the plane's speed or increase in the attack angle lead to the engine surging ("pompage") that leads to stopping of the engine?

No, the engines will not stop easily! you are flying a 747, not a Cessna. BTW, 747 has 4 engines and it can land with two only. In worst cases were engines stop, the pilots will have time to restart the engines. They need like 30 seconds to do so and they most likely will be on 30,000-40,000 feet so they got all the time in the world.

Does the pompage have positive feedback (i.e. pompage in one engine leads to further decrease in speed so that other engines experience it)?

No, if one engine is gone (or two in 747) other engines will continue to work. Pilots will increase the power in the remaining engine(s) and passengers will not even notice.

Is it true that the most modern airliners cannot land without engines working?

All airplanes can glide with no engines, if they have some altitude and they find a good landing spot like a field or a lake then the plane can land, check TACA airlines accident and Hudson river accident.

Does the drop of the speed and rising angle of attack inevitably lead the plane to a flat spin?

That's how aerodynamics are, but why would a pilot do that? any way most airplanes have an auto correction ability, so even if the pilot did not try to fix it, the plane will correct the spin!

It it true that civil pilots are not trained to get a plane back from a flat spin?

This is totally wrong. All pilots are trained for that.

Is it true that civil airliners usually not equipped with anti-spin parachutes so that getting out of lat spin is impossible after first turn?

No parachutes, my friend. No real life aircraft have them!


I am a cabin crew member for years, I had all kind of weird airplanes stuff and I never had 1% of these thoughts you had. I had flights with 747 where pilots had to switch off 1 engine (engine flame out) and I landed safely, I had flights with 1 engine in twin engine aircraft (also landed safely as you can see) and I can tell you this: flying in airplanes is much much much safer than driving a car.

If these questions are out of curiosity then you got the answers, if these questions are out of real fear and thoughts you have in your head then I strongly suggest talking to some professional to get some help in clearing these fears from your head.

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  • 1)I was told on a Russian aviation forum that a good storm can easily disintegrate the plane, is it wrong? 2)I am referring to the crash of Tu-154 No RA-85185 in 2006. They lost the speed due to altitude rising and got pompage. They tried to increase the speed but got pompage of the other engine. The commission said they had to decrease speed to get rid of pompage. It the pilot was you, you also would try to increase speed?
    – Anixx
    Mar 4, 2013 at 18:35
  • 3)I have read many times that this or that plane the last model that can land without working engines. It is not true? 4)Dropping speed leads to the rising of the angle of attack. 5)Regardiung the same catastrophe it was concluded that the pilots could not do anything because civil pilots are not trained to get out of flat spin, it is a Russian specific? 6)It was found that the commercial airliners were not equipped with an anti-spin parachute due to money shortage. The test planes Tu-154 were always equipped.
    – Anixx
    Mar 4, 2013 at 18:36
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    my friend, there are millions of flights every year, if you take one case out of BILLIONS of flights in history and then you wanna build some case about it then that is your problem. Mar 4, 2013 at 18:38
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    @Anixx Look. Former USSR aviation in general does things in a way resembling everything else: надеясь на русский авось. Your comfort level with flight seem to be bordering on paranoia. In this case I would very seriously suggest putting away the internet or taking the cure from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Men_in_a_Boat. Sorry for being curt, but you're looking for reassurances from the internet community, which it is actually not designed to provide...
    – Karlson
    Mar 4, 2013 at 18:51
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    @Anixx I am serious, I really think you have aviophobia and you need to visit a profissional to help you overcome these thoughts. So many people with aviophobia are able to manage flying after seeking help. Just take it easy and you will be fine. Mar 5, 2013 at 6:02

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