Originally Posted by dogcanyon
Well, of course it was pilot error. You seem to be missing my point that had it been a 4 engine aircraft they would have still had 2 functioning engines. I would agree that this is an extremely rare case, but on occasion those extra engines could actually make the difference between life and death.
Ok so you admit it was pilot error, so why does that make you deem twin engine planes less safe than tris or quads? That's like saying all guns aren't safe because someone went out a killed someone with one. Don't fault the machine because of the operator. The pilot just as well could have shut down the other three engines if he had been flying a quad.
Maybe thirty years ago multi engine jets were much safer, but with the advent of ETOPs, engines that are technologically light years ahead of where they were even 15 years ago, and enhanced crew training, it's an antiquated line of thought. That's why all the newest designs are twin engined. The 380 is the exception because there aren't powerful enough engines out there that would allow it to fly twin engined.