All Engines Failure — Emergency Configuration, QRH Paper Procedure, Windmill Relight, Green Dot Glide
Engine Failure covered a single engine, Relight the relight. This article is the most severe case: all engines failed — all thrust lost, unable to maintain level flight. It covers the emergency electrical configuration, the relight decision, and the glide. It closes the fault tier and is the heaviest emergency in training.
1. Emergency electrical configuration
Following an all engines failure, the cockpit indications change significantly, because the generators disconnect from the AC and DC bus bars: ‐ AP, FD, and A/THR are lost ‐ Aircraft operates in alternate law ‐ CM2 PFD and CM2 ND are lost. In the case of an all engines failure: ‐ All the AC busbars are lost ‐ The RAT auto[matically extends]... and in the loss of the blue and yellow hydraulic systems.
Per FCTM PR-AEP-ENG: with the generators off the busbars, AP, FD and A/THR are lost; the aircraft is in alternate law; CM2 PFD and ND are lost; all AC busbars are lost; the RAT auto-extends; and the blue and yellow hydraulic systems are lost. An all-engines failure is a cascade of engine + electrical + hydraulic loss (emergency config; RAT feeds flight controls + emergency generator).
2. ALL ENGINES FAILURE ECAM purpose
The purpose of the ENG ALL ENGINES FAILURE ECAM procedure is to secure both the automatic extension of the RAT and the automatic connection of the emergency generator. The ALL ENGINES FAILURE paper procedure includes a fuel quantity check to determine if either of the following applies: ‐ Engine relight can be attempted, or ‐ Engine relight cannot be attempted.
Per PRO-ABN-ENG: the ECAM procedure's purpose is to secure the RAT auto-extension + the emergency-generator auto-connection; the paper procedure includes a fuel-quantity check to decide relight can / cannot be attempted.
3. Relight can → windmill relight
If engine relight can be attempted: ENG START sel ... IGN/START. Approaching or below FL 300: Windmill Relight — ALL ENG MASTERS ... OFF 30 S THEN ON. ENGs RELIGHT ... TRY REGULARLY. (First without the APU bleed (windmill start), then with the APU bleed, if available.)
Per PRO-ABN-ENG: ENG START → IGN/START; below FL 300, Windmill Relight — ALL ENG MASTERS OFF 30 s THEN ON, try regularly; first without APU bleed (windmill start), then with APU bleed if available (carrying 21's relight envelope; max guaranteed relight altitude 30 000 ft).
4. Relight cannot → green dot glide
If engine relight cannot be attempted (It includes the cases of no fuel remaining or engine damage): OPTIMUM SPEED: GREEN DOT — Green dot speed is the optimum speed to glide as far as possible. GLIDING DISTANCE: 3 NM / 1000 FT AT GREEN DOT SPEED (300 FT/NM) NO WIND. Flight Level FL 200 / FL 300 / FL 400 — Distance (NM) 60 / 90 / 120. APU (below FL 250)...
Per PRO-ABN-ENG: if relight cannot be attempted (no fuel remaining or engine damage), GREEN DOT is the optimum glide speed; gliding distance 3 NM / 1000 ft (300 ft/NM) no wind — FL 200 = 60 NM / FL 300 = 90 NM / FL 400 = 120 NM; start the APU below FL 250.
5. Handling framework and counterintuitive points
ALL ENGINES FAILURE ECAM (purpose: RAT extension + emergency-generator connection)
│ emergency config: all AC busbars lost / RAT extends / AP·FD·A/THR lost / alternate law / CM2 PFD·ND lost / blue+yellow hydraulics lost
▼ QRH paper procedure: fuel-quantity check
├─ relight can → windmill relight (below FL 300, ALL ENG MASTERS OFF 30 s THEN ON, first without APU bleed then with)
└─ relight cannot (no fuel / damage) → green dot glide (3 NM/1000 ft; FL 200=60 / FL 300=90 / FL 400=120 NM) + APU (below FL 250) → forced landing / ditching
[!warning]- All engines failure = engine + electrical + hydraulic cascade Not just no thrust — all AC busbars lost, RAT auto-extends, AP/FD/A/THR lost, alternate law, blue + yellow hydraulics lost (PR-AEP-ENG). The emergency config relies on the RAT for flight controls + the emergency generator.
[!warning]- Gliding distance ≈ 3 NM / 1000 ft (green dot) At green dot, 3 NM / 1000 ft (300 ft/NM) no wind: FL 200 ≈ 60 NM, FL 400 ≈ 120 NM (PRO-ABN-ENG) — the key number for estimating reach and choosing a landing point.
Self-test
[!note]- Q1. The ALL ENGINES FAILURE ECAM purpose? Secure the RAT auto-extension + emergency-generator auto-connection; the paper procedure includes a fuel-quantity check for relight can/cannot.
[!note]- Q2. What is lost after an all-engines failure? All AC busbars, AP/FD/A/THR, alternate law, CM2 PFD/ND, blue + yellow hydraulics; the RAT auto-extends.
[!note]- Q3. The windmill relight action when relight can be attempted? Below FL 300, ALL ENG MASTERS OFF 30 s THEN ON, try regularly; first without APU bleed, then with APU bleed if available.
[!note]- Q4. The glide speed and gliding distance when relight cannot? GREEN DOT; 3 NM / 1000 ft (300 ft/NM) no wind (FL 200=60 / FL 300=90 / FL 400=120 NM).
Key takeaways
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| ECAM | secure RAT extension + emergency-generator connection; fuel check → can/cannot |
| Emergency config | AC lost / RAT / AP·FD·A/THR lost / alternate law / blue+yellow hydraulics lost |
| Relight can | windmill relight (below FL 300, ALL ENG MASTERS OFF 30 s THEN ON, first without APU bleed then with) |
| Relight cannot | green dot glide 3 NM/1000 ft (FL 200=60 / FL 400=120 NM) + APU (below FL 250) |
References
- FCOM PRO-ABN-ENG — ALL ENGINES FAILURE ECAM purpose (RAT + emergency generator) / fuel check / windmill relight (ALL ENG MASTERS OFF 30 s THEN ON, first without then with APU bleed) / green dot glide / gliding distance 3 NM/1000 ft (FL 200=60 · FL 300=90 · FL 400=120).
- FCTM PR-AEP-ENG — emergency config: all AC busbars lost / RAT auto-extends / AP·FD·A/THR lost / alternate law / CM2 PFD·ND lost / blue+yellow hydraulics lost.
- Relight envelope (21) — max guaranteed altitude 30 000 ft.
Independent study material, not an Airbus publication and not endorsed by the manufacturer. Always defer to the current operator FCOM, FCTM, and QRH for operational use.