Engine shutdown into gate

[loucat76]

On a flight on a US airline into a US airport a few years ago the pilot cut both engines a ways out from the gate and we coasted in with both engines off. I had never experienced that before or since. This was roughly 2012 and I was just thinking it was odd or maybe it's common practice in the states or elsewhere? Thanks.

[rog747]

It was due to save fuel - an idea to cut one after landing and taxi in on one such, as the DC-9 like we had at LHR.

A couple of our chaps often cut both near the parking stand and coasted in - Very naughty and frowned upon if one was caught or something went wrong.

I gather as long as the APU had been started and all services were on line then they got away with it.
The engines drive generators and HYD pumps - no engines = no leccy and maybe no brakes

I think anyone doing it today (cutting all power and coasting) would get caught and then tea with no biscuits in the CP office

[chevvron]

On a flight on a US airline into a US airport a few years ago the pilot cut both engines a ways out from the gate and we coasted in with both engines off. I had never experienced that before or since. This was roughly 2012 and I was just thinking it was odd or maybe it's common practice in the states or elsewhere? Thanks.
Depends what size aircraft you are flying in. Some US airports have narrow gates and largish aircraft (767 or bigger) have to shut down and be towed into position eg some stands at LAX.

[pax britanica]

Back in its BA days early arrivals in T4 were towed into gates at the back of the terminal for noise abatement reasons and I have also been towed into/out of some tight gates at JFK.

Slowing down and taxying and then accurately positioning and stopping at the gate even with guidance systems in monster jets like 747/380s and 77Ws always looks one of the trickiest things for a pilot to do. judging the stopping seems hardest as often the plane almost stops then needs a bi of hefty shove on the thrust levers to move it another couple of feet . No doubt why they make that announcement about a complete stop and engines off.

[AeroSpark]

Flybe Dash 8s often taxi in and out on one engine. When you add it up across all the flights over the year it must be quite a significant fuel saving.

[DaveReidUK]

Back in its BA days early arrivals in T4 were towed into gates at the back of the terminal for noise abatement reasons and I have also been towed into/out of some tight gates at JFK.

At SFO too, as we saw from the recent Aer Lingus wingtip scrape while being towed onto stand there: PPRuNe: Anyone got some T-cut? (https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/609235-anyone-got-some-t-cut.html)

Though we're drifting off the original topic, which was aircraft coasting onto the gate purely using momentum, rather than motive power provided by a tug or one running engine.

[Denti]

Flybe Dash 8s often taxi in and out on one engine. When you add it up across all the flights over the year it must be quite a significant fuel saving.

So do easyJets airbii apparently. Of course, the minimum warmup and cooldown times have to be observed i would think. Recently heard from a mate in Lufthansa that they have SOPs for that on the A320 as well, but that the single engine taxi out is apparently rather rare if done at all. And of course the NEO with its long startup time makes things even more difficult.

[lomapaseo]

Both engine shutdown?
How would a passenger know?

[TURIN]

Both engine shutdown?
How would a passenger know?

Assuming they are not hearing impaired I think its pretty obvious. Noise and vibration.

[Startledgrapefruit]

Flybe Dash 8s often taxi in and out on one engine. When you add it up across all the flights over the year it must be quite a significant fuel saving.

And all the passengers look out the window and are convinced the plane landed on one engine !!

[chevvron]

I noticed at Barcelona after a long taxy for departure in an Easyjet A320 (from their north side terminal via the western end of 07L/25R to the 27L hold) that we then started one engine just before departure.

[DaveReidUK]

And all the passengers look out the window and are convinced the plane landed on one engine !!

Well apart from the ones who were looking out the window during the landing. :O

[Denti]

I noticed at Barcelona after a long taxy for departure in an Easyjet A320 (from their north side terminal via the western end of 07L/25R to the 27L hold) that we then started one engine just before departure.
Well, i highly doubt it was really "right before departure". I do not know their exact procedure, however, the engines need at least a warmup period of 3 minutes at or near idle until you apply take off thrust. But yes, they apparently have single engine taxi out as normal SOP, which is somewhat vexing for those taxiing behind them as they are usually very very slow indeed because of limited power on the live engine and only one available.

[Midland63]

A couple of our chaps often cut both near the parking stand and coasted in

Seems like a hell of a risk (including to one's career) just to save a few cupfuls of fuel!

[loucat76]

Thanks all for the replies. It could well have been a single engine taxi, from what I remember but the sound of both engines shut down was unmistakable even if the APU was running as I'm sure it probably would have been . I have also been on aircraft that were shutdown and then pushed/pulled to the gate and this was not the case here. We turned off the taxi way into the gate in continuous motion, the engine(s) cut out and spooled down and continued to spool down and we rolled the last 20? feet in near silence.This is the reason I still think about it all these years later and as I said in my post it has not happened since, even on the same airline. I was trying to be vague about the airline as I don't know if its really a big deal or not. I could say its a US low cost airline that favors Boeing aircraft. Anyway I thought I had read on here somewhere before that it was a common practice with some pilots but always wondered if anyone else had experienced with some regularity.

[Hotel Tango]

Because the passenger door could not be opened until the props had stopped spinning, I can remember taxiing into gates (where the aircraft was not required to nose in) on Fokker 27s with the left engine shutting down early to save a few precious minutes with the short turnarounds at Eindhoven for instance. This was quite some time back though.

[OntimeexceptACARS]

Back in the day when I worked at EDI the RYR B732s used to do this regularly. As the airport grew, occasionally the morning FR812?? was forced to wait for a stand on the main taxiway. Waiting to dispatch the flight I tuned my radio to ground and chortled when I heard the ATCO say : "Ryanair 812, you are cleared to hurtle on to stand 1A."

[condor17]

We used to taxi in and out with a single Spey shut down on Tridents ... No minimum warm up time either . Only came in with Rb211s.
737-200s ,once APU on line taxi on one JT8 , occasional skipper shutting down the 2nd B4 gate entry . Had to be a nicely judged decel , otherwise you stopped short and had to restart ! No probs with brakes , hyd , elec , systems etc .
Tristars ,747-400s , Rb211s taxy out , in 1 shut down [ under a certain weight ] .
747-400 , JFK one bad night , over the above wt , out of the ramp onto taxiway , looked at queue ...shut down 2 engines . Even with extra taxy fuel , only just got to the runway with minimum take off fuel ...... 2hrs 15minutes taxying !
Others had to return to the gate for more fuel ...
Worst spatial disorientation .... new to 747s , taxying to tight gate in San Fran , creeping in for last 2 yards . Ground staff start moving the pier towards the [front left] door1L ; gives an illusion of a/c shooting forward . 15 stone jumps on the brakes , 250+ tonnes does a 9 G stop , junior stewardess at door 4L flies forward , up the stairs and lands in my lap [ wishful thinking , that one ] . Have to then reevaluate , and move a/c forward 4 feet . Try and explain that to 300 pax and crew ! Had to buy a few beers that night .

rgds condor .