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sl8

(17,120 posts) Fri Apr 17, 2026, 12:50 PM Friday

Would you be too distressed if your airliner lost all four engines?

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress."

3:35 min.

The tale of a calm pilot during a flight emergency | QI - BBC

BBC
2024 Apr 7

The biggest understatement ever award goes to ....

In this week's episode of QI, filmed in 2023, we were lucky enough to have the truly heroic Captain Eric Moody in the studio. Sadly, Eric passed away last month. Our thoughts are with Eric's friends and family.

[...]

Sandi Toksvig, Alan Davies and a host of comedy stars swap funny facts on every subject under the sun. It doesn't matter if they're right, as long as they're quite interesting.

Wikipedia article about British Airways Flight 009:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_009

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Would you be too distressed if your airliner lost all four engines? (Original Post) sl8 Friday OP

"We had a difficult day at the office, dear" Wonder Why Friday #1

That one the the calmest human beings I've ever encountered some_of_us_are_sane Saturday #2

Holy moly, it happened fast! mwmisses4289 Sunday #3

Well, I went and read the wiki because of your comment Nittersing Sunday #4

Wonder Why

(7,146 posts)

1. "We had a difficult day at the office, dear"

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Fri Apr 17, 2026, 05:35 PM

Friday

One definitely needs to read the full true story on Wikipedia. Search for British Airways flight 009.

Just don't do it before taking a flight.

some_of_us_are_sane

(3,350 posts)

2. That one the the calmest human beings I've ever encountered

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sat Apr 18, 2026, 09:38 PM

Saturday

(albeit based simply on that tale told on British airwaves)... on those actions alone, he should glide straight into heaven one day. )

mwmisses4289

(4,433 posts)

3. Holy moly, it happened fast!

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Sun Apr 19, 2026, 11:24 AM

Sunday

Reading the Wikipedia article, it all happened in about 20 minutes (about 8:40p.m. to 9:00p.m. local time). I don't think anybody had time to panic!
Kinda sad it took the government of Indonesia another two weeks and another airplane having the same issue for them to close the airspace around the volcano and create a new safer route for flights to get around it.

Nittersing

(8,430 posts)

4. Well, I went and read the wiki because of your comment

Reply to mwmisses4289 (Reply #3)

Sun Apr 19, 2026, 11:54 AM

Sunday

and I was NOT disappointed!!

Pretty fascinating read.

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