Originally Posted by Graybeard
Back in 1977 when a Southern Airways DC-9 had a dual flameout from hail and landed on a road - within gliding distance of at least one airport - glide ratios and best glide speeds of twinjets were never even discussed, as they were too improbable. Many pilots had no real idea of their mounts' glide potential. Some even became testy when I asked.
Further, Atlanta ATC assumed they had lost two of their three engines, and continued routine handling of their flight.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I just cannot imagine an air traffic controller, even in 1977, learning or hearing that a B-727 had just lost 2 of its 3 engines would continue "routine handling of the flight." I don't recall the specifics of that particular incident, but I would strongly suspect that if the controllers didn't "get exicited" it was because they weren't advised of anything over which they would get exicited. Being advised of one of the airplanes he was working that lost 2 of 3 engines would, I think, cause any controller to have to go change his shorts! In fact, losing 1 of 3 engines would have at least caused him to stand up and get some attention from others with whom he was working at the time!