It then spent several hours crossing a continent and on reaching the eastern shore of that continent one can safely say that the relative reliability of the remaining engines had been proven. At all times over that continent, the aircraft was within easy reach of many alternate airfields should one have been required. Having consulted with operations and the maintenance organisation, the decision was made to cross the Atlantic in an aircraft with 3 serviceable engines and suficient performance.
Just to take some issue with this... since it is a statement reiterated here frequently.
A West Coast - LHR flight, such as this, does not in fact travel as you suggest across the populated N American and then "head out" across a wild and dangerous ocean... It heads a long way north, and the "remotest" area, in terms of Diversions, is probably Canada. Once it gets to the E Coast, it then has the likes of Iqaluit, Iceland and Scotland...
The (old?) "non-ETOPs" route uses this "chain" of airfields...
I am willing to be corrected in details of which is the more remote "area" - and am just attempting to dispel this myth of a "long over water crossing" after "passing over the populated and airfield rich" N American Continent
