Originally Posted by TWA Fan 1

That's really just not right. That's why two-engine planes have ETOPS restrictions. These are designed so, in case of engine failure, the a/c is always within range of an appropriate field.

I think a scarier proposition is flying a route like LAX-SYD or LAX-AKL, which is not possible on ETOPS. There are points, where if 1 of the 4 engines goes out on the 747 that run these routes, you'll have a tough time making it to an appropriate landing strip. Once you've passed the Hawaiian archipelago and head southwest there is very little of any landfall till Polynesia.