All-engine-out aircraft guidance to runway

A method for determining a lateral and vertical path for aircraft guidance from a current aircraft position to a landing runway following a complete loss of engine thrust, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining, in a processing system, a final approach segment, the final approach segment being a path that the aircraft will traverse to maintain aircraft speed at a controlled landing speed, with no engine thrust, until the aircraft touches down on the landing runway;
• determining, in the processing system, a deceleration segment, the deceleration segment being a path that the aircraft will traverse, just prior to entering the final approach segment, to reduce the aircraft speed, with no engine thrust, to the controlled landing speed;
• determining, in the processing system, a driftdown segment, the driftdown segment being a path that the aircraft will traverse, upon the complete loss of engine thrust and just prior to entering the deceleration segment, to reduce aircraft potential energy to a predetermined magnitude;
• connecting, in the processing system, the driftdown segment to the deceleration segment, and the deceleration segment to the final approach segment, to form a complete lateral and vertical path from the current aircraft position to the landing runway;
• rendering, on a display device, a graphical representation of the complete lateral and vertical path from the current aircraft position to the landing runway, wherein the graphical representation of the complete lateral and vertical path updates as the aircraft travels;
• and
• using a flight management system to automatically command the aircraft to fly the complete path.