The aircraft is a highly complex mechanism. Why this is an argument in favor of safety

Using power supply as an example, we analyze how every system in an aircraft is duplicated: generators, APU, batteries, and the RAT wind turbine.

"How can I fly calmly knowing that an aircraft is a highly complex mechanism, and any malfunction can lead to a disaster?" An aircraft is indeed a highly complex mechanism, and that is precisely why all systems in it are duplicated multiple times. Let us look at a specific example.

Electricity: four levels of backup

An aircraft needs electricity, which is produced by generators. "What if a generator breaks down?" - the designers thought and installed two generators in each engine. This means four generators must fail simultaneously for the aircraft to be left without power.

What if all generators fail? They thought of that too: an auxiliary power unit, APU, is installed in the tail of the aircraft. It is its own power station with its own fuel supply, and even if all four generators fail, it will continue to provide the aircraft with electricity.

What if this unit also fails? Then there are storage batteries. The aircraft will receive power from them for as long as it takes to land at the nearest airport.

And what if the batteries run out? Then the RAT, ram air turbine, comes to the rescue. Following the principle of a child's wind spinner, the blades will rotate from the incoming airflow and generate electricity.

And this is how aviation takes care of your safety: so that no malfunction can lead to serious consequences. Have you ever encountered such redundancy on the ground?