How do you fly and land a twin-engine aircraft on one engine?

Yes. A twin-engine aircraft can usually fly and land on one engine, provided the pilot maintains control, protects the published engine-out speed, reduces drag and follows the type-specific checklist. It may not be able to climb, however, so runway, terrain, weather, mass and the failure phase determine the safest outcome.

This Aviation & Real-World Flying answer is a decision framework, not a universal sequence of switch positions. The approved aircraft flight manual or pilot’s operating handbook, emergency checklist and type-specific training take precedence. For the underlying concepts, see our broader primer on asymmetric thrust and multi-engine handling.

Can a twin-engine plane fly with one engine?

Most twins remain controllable after one engine fails, but controllability does not guarantee level flight or a positive climb.

An engine producing idle thrust is not equivalent to a stopped and secured engine. On a propeller aircraft, an unfeathered or windmilling propeller can make the difference between climbing and descending. Jets avoid that propeller drag but may lose hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic or anti-ice capability with the engine.

Airliners are not expected to continue routine flight indefinitely merely because they can remain airborne. They follow one-engine-inoperative procedures and divert according to performance, systems, weather and operating rules. Our A320-specific explanation of one-engine flight and landing shows how that applies to a modern jet.

What should you do first when one engine fails?

Directional control and airspeed come before diagnosis, radio calls or attempts to hold altitude.

1. Control the yaw: apply rudder towards the operative engine and establish the small bank towards that engine specified for the aircraft. Aileron alone will not counter sustained asymmetric thrust correctly.
2. Protect airspeed: lower the nose as needed and aim for the published engine-out speed. If directional control is being lost, reducing power on the operative engine may be necessary even though it sacrifices climb performance.
3. Set power and reduce drag: use the checklist power setting on the operative engine. Retract gear or flap only in the approved sequence and only when continuing airborne is safer than landing ahead.
4. Identify the failed engine: compare yaw, rudder pressure and engine indications. The mnemonic “dead foot, dead engine” is a clue, not proof.
5. Verify before securing: when circumstances permit, smoothly retard the suspected engine’s throttle. Little or no change supports the identification; increased yaw or lost performance means the operative engine was selected, so restore it immediately.
6. Secure and plan: feather or isolate the failed engine as directed, trim only after establishing correct control inputs, declare an emergency and choose a suitable landing site.

Do not delay an approved fire or severe-damage memory item merely to perform a leisurely verification. In less urgent cases, shutting down the wrong engine is one of the most dangerous errors possible, so deliberate verification matters.

What changes if the engine fails during take-off?

A failure during take-off demands an immediate decision based on runway remaining, decision speed and demonstrated single-engine performance.

In a transport aircraft, a failure recognised before V1 normally leads to a rejected take-off; at or after V1, the approved procedure normally calls for continuing. V1 is not a generic number for every twin. Many light piston twins have no transport-category V1 and require a pre-take-off brief based on runway length, accelerate-stop information, obstacles and the day’s conditions.

If a light twin has just lifted off but cannot accelerate, maintain control rather than forcing it to climb. A controlled landing ahead or on remaining runway may be safer than raising the nose until the aircraft slows into an uncontrollable roll and yaw.

Which engine-out speeds matter?

VMC, Vyse and V2 describe different limits or performance objectives and must not be treated as interchangeable target speeds.

Published VMC was established under specified conditions. The real control margin changes with operative-engine power, propeller effects, mass, centre of gravity, bank angle, configuration and atmospheric conditions. Being just above the red line does not make slow, uncoordinated flight safe.

Likewise, blindly holding Vyse cannot create climb performance that the aircraft does not possess. If speed is decaying, lower the nose. Our guide to aviation V-speed terminology explains how these references fit into the wider speed schedule.

Can a twin-engine aircraft climb on one engine?

A twin climbs on one engine only when the remaining power produces more thrust than the aircraft needs to overcome drag.

Losing half the installed engines can remove most or all of the climb rate because climb depends on excess power, not total power alone. An aircraft that climbs strongly on two engines may merely maintain altitude, drift down or descend after one fails.

• High gross mass or an unfavourable centre of gravity
• High temperature, elevation or density altitude
• Landing gear or flap left extended
• A windmilling rather than feathered propeller
• Icing, airframe contamination or structural damage
• Power or temperature limits on the operative engine
• Poor coordination or failure to use the published small bank
• Terrain above the aircraft’s single-engine ceiling

If the aeroplane cannot maintain altitude at the correct speed and configuration, establish a controlled descent and select a reachable landing site. Holding the nose up only converts airspeed into a brief delay before loss of control.

How do you identify and secure the failed engine?

Use control forces and instruments to identify the suspect engine, then verify it before moving a propeller, condition, fuel or fire control.

In a conventional wing-mounted twin, the nose normally yaws towards the failed side and the pilot presses rudder on the operative side. Counter-rotating propellers can remove the conventional “critical engine”, while centreline-thrust twins have much less asymmetric yaw. Neither arrangement guarantees a climb.

For a feathering propeller, turning the blades towards the airflow reduces the drag from a stopped or windmilling engine. Fixed-pitch propellers normally cannot be feathered. Some turboprops have autofeather systems, but the pilot must confirm what the system actually did rather than assume the correct propeller has feathered.

Restart attempts depend on the suspected cause, available altitude and checklist. A fuel-selection or icing problem may permit a restart; fire, oil loss or severe vibration may make one unsafe. Do not spend the altitude needed for landing on repeated troubleshooting.

How do you land a twin safely on one engine?

Use the nearest suitable aerodrome, fly a stabilised approach and configure according to the aircraft’s one-engine-inoperative checklist.

1. Select the runway: favour adequate length, favourable wind, manageable weather, low terrain and a simple approach. The geographically closest runway is not always the safest.
2. Review affected systems: determine whether landing gear, flaps, brakes, anti-skid, hydraulics or electrical services require an alternate procedure.
3. Brief performance: set the published approach speed and decide before descent whether a single-engine missed approach is available under the actual conditions.
4. Delay unnecessary drag: keep gear and major flap extension until landing is reasonably assured, while still configuring early enough to meet the aircraft’s stabilised-approach criteria.
5. Maintain the approved attitude: use the specified rudder and small bank towards the operative engine. In some twins the slip indicator will not sit exactly in the centre during the optimum zero-sideslip condition, so follow the type guidance rather than chasing the ball.
6. Make smooth power changes: avoid abrupt thrust changes, steep turns and skids. As power is reduced in the flare, asymmetric yaw decreases and the required rudder pressure changes.
7. Complete the landing: maintain centreline through touchdown and braking. Once committed, concentrate on stopping safely rather than restarting the engine.

Should you use full flap for a one-engine landing?

Full flap is appropriate only when the aircraft procedure calls for it and the runway is assured.

Extra flap can reduce touchdown speed and landing distance, but it also increases drag and may eliminate an already marginal go-around. Some aircraft prescribe a normal flap landing; others use partial flap or delay full flap until late. “Always use full flap” and “never use full flap” are both unreliable rules.

Can you go around on one engine?

A single-engine go-around is possible only when the aircraft has enough performance in its actual mass, configuration and atmospheric conditions.

If a go-around is viable, initiate it promptly while airspeed remains healthy and change power and configuration in the published order. A low, slow, fully configured attempt can produce rapid yaw and sink. Plan this before final approach rather than discovering after full flap and gear extension that the aeroplane cannot climb.

What does “retard” mean in aviation?

To retard a throttle means to move it rearwards and reduce engine power or thrust.

During engine identification, “retard the suspected throttle” means reduce it smoothly while observing the aircraft’s response; it does not mean shut the engine down immediately. During landing, retard normally means reducing the operative engine’s power for the flare. On some Airbus types, the automated “RETARD” callout reminds the pilot to bring the thrust levers to idle during the flare; it is not an engine-failure warning.

Can the autopilot handle one-engine flight?

Use the autopilot only after the aircraft is stabilised and only if the flight manual permits engine-out operation.

Some autopilots maintain heading by commanding bank without supplying the sustained rudder needed for efficient asymmetric flight. That can hide poor coordination or leave the pilot with a sharp workload increase after a disconnect. A yaw damper reduces yaw oscillation but does not replace the pilot’s engine-out rudder input.

Which engine-out mistakes cause the most trouble?

The most serious errors come from sacrificing airspeed, acting on an unverified diagnosis or assuming that two engines guarantee one-engine climb.

• Holding altitude while speed decays: lower the nose and preserve control, even if that means descending.
• Applying maximum power while below control speed: reduce asymmetric thrust as needed, regain speed and add power smoothly.
• Feathering after identification but before verification: confirm the suspect engine unless an immediate fire or damage procedure dictates otherwise.
• Leaving drag extended: verify gear, flap and propeller state against the checklist.
• Treating VMC as a target: maintain the published operational speed with a useful margin rather than flying at the control boundary.
• Configuring too early: preserve go-around or drift-down performance until the runway is assured.
• Turning towards the failed engine recklessly: turns in either direction can be flown with sufficient speed and coordination, but steep bank, skid and abrupt power changes are dangerous near the ground.
• Relying on automation: monitor rudder, bank, speed and engine indications even when the autopilot remains engaged.

How should you practise flying a twin on one engine in a simulator?

Practise the control sequence at a safe simulated altitude before attempting failures just after take-off or during approach.

Start with directional control and speed, then add identification, verification, feathering, systems management and diversion decisions. Our structured simulator engine-failure practice plan explains how to build scenarios without turning the exercise into switch memorisation.

Check throttle-axis assignments before blaming the aircraft model. Duplicate bindings can restore power to the failed engine or move both throttles together, while assistance settings may automatically manage mixtures, propellers or failures. Simulator flight models also vary in their treatment of VMC, windmilling drag, autofeather and single-engine climb, so the real aircraft’s approved performance data remains the reference.