Yes, an airplane can glide perfectly well if all its engines fail; it does not simply "fall out of the sky." Every fixed-wing aircraft has a specific "glide ratio," which is the distance it can travel forward for every foot of altitude it loses. For most modern commercial airliners, this ratio is approximately 17:1, meaning if a plane is at a typical cruising altitude of 35,000 feet (about 6.6 miles), it can glide for roughly 110 miles before reaching the ground. During a glide, the wings continue to generate lift as long as the pilot maintains sufficient airspeed by pitching the nose down slightly. Historical examples, such as the "Gimli Glider" (Air Canada Flight 143) and the "Miracle on the Hudson" (US Airways Flight 1549), prove that skilled pilots can successfully navigate a powerless aircraft to a safe landing or ditching. While the loss of engine power also means a loss of traditional electrical and hydraulic systems, planes are equipped with backup systems like the Ram Air Turbine (RAT)—a small wind turbine that deploys from the fuselage—to provide essential power for flight controls and cockpit instruments during the descent.