I was on a 747, about three hours from LAX to Honolulu when the plane just gave a little jolt and slowed down just a bit.
The pilot came on the intercom and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve developed a minor problem with the number two engine electrical system, so out of caution, we have shut down this engine.
The 747 is designed to compensate for just such an event, so everything is fine.
But with only three engines we will travel a little slower, so our arrival time in Honolulu will be about twenty minutes behind schedule.
We apologise for any inconvenience and the agents in Honolulu have been notified to make whatever arrangements are necessary for your connecting flights.
If anything should change, we’ll let you know.”The blonde beside me asked the flight attendant for an adult beverage to calm her.
About thirty minutes later, the plane did that same little jolt and slowed a bit more.
The pilot came on the intercom and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the electrical issue in the number two engine has spread to the number four engine so we have had to shut it down as well.
As before, the pane is designed to fly on only one engine, not something we expect, but it can fly.
However, with another engine shut down, our arrival time will be further delayed by another twenty minutes.
Be sure to checking with the gate agents as soon as we land for any connecting flight issues.
Thank you for your patience.”The blonde next to me asked for another drink!
About thirty minutes later, the plane did that same little jolt and slowed a bit more.
The pilot came on the intercom and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached the point where we are testing the design of the 747 to be able to fly on one engine.
The electrical issue has spread to the number one engine, so we will rely on the number three engine to get us to Honolulu.
And, our arrival time will be further delayed by another fifteen or twenty minutes.
We will keep you informed of further developments.”The blonde next to me said,
“If they shut down that last engine, we will be up here forever!”
