FE Hoppy,
Somewhat agreed. After the first failure V1 and above, we continue, and if we remember, we can select TOGA. However, should a second failure on the same side happen, as a result of one engine affecting the other (ingestion of spare parts, flame out, bird strikes etc..) you're on your own (below the VMCL-2), but the out come will be better to take the punch on the nose and stop, the aircraft will not fly on two engines from rotation at a heavy weight, never never never! The aircraft will not accelerate anymore, only yaw and lifting the nose would make things worse and everyone knows what happens when below VMCA and lifting a nose! The manufaturers don't count on a dual engine failures on a quad and there are no graphs, nor performance.
So in this case, maybe they elected to stop and not try to continue on two engines in this case, and the outcome was that they walked away. Man, this was better than being a mile further in a very different position.
This is just my two cents worth from 4 engine experience!
Remember that old saying about a good (lucky) pilot has equal landings compared to the amount of take-offs. Keeping that score equal is what allows us to fly the next day and walk home. Had a flight got airborne with two engines out on the same side in a quad, the balance of take-offs would never equal the amount of landings in their careers.
These gentlemen were fortunate indeed, and did well.
Last edited by Jetjock330; 1st Jun 2008 at 18:42.