or…
I was on another Trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris, where we were taking a 747 through bad weather. A lightning bolt shot from the clouds and knocked out an engine.
The pilot got on the intercom and reassured us, “Ah, folks, this Boeing 747 is built with so much redundancy that the loss of an engine is no problem at all. We won’t even have to turn back to New York. We’ll get to Paris just fine on three engines, but because of our reduced speed and altitude it will take a little longer, and we may be an hour late on arrival in Paris. I’ve instructed the cabin attendants to offer everyone a free drink for the inconvenience.”
No sooner does he finish this speech and the drink orders are being given, than another lightning bolt knocks out another engine. The captain spoke again. “Folks, I promise you that we’re going to get to Paris. Since we’ve passed the halfway point in our journey, we won’t be turning back, but I assure you that the plane is so safe that we could fly with even this loss of power. However, our speed will be reduced considerably, and we may be as much as three hours late to Paris. Please try to make yourselves comfortable while we press on.”
Not long after this a mechanical problem developed with one of the two remaining engines, and it flamed out, requiring shutdown to avoid damage to the wing. The captain, again: “Ladies and gentlemen, I know this looks bad, but the plane is so reliable that we can still make our destination even given the latest problem. The big problem is that we’ll be more than four hours late on arrival. I suggest that you try to get some sleep while we continue on our way.”
At this point the blonde next to me complained, “I sure hope nothing happens to that last engine, or it will take us forever to get to Paris.”