> I can't imagine many scenarios where a commercial flight would want to actively shutdown the engines with just a simple command while midair. The scenario ha

> I can't imagine many scenarios where a commercial flight would want to actively shutdown the engines with just a simple command while midair. The scenario has already been mentioned elsewhere in this thread: an engine fire. If the engine is actually on fire, you want the flight crew to shut it down as quickly as possible, because the plane could be seconds away from a jet fuel explosion.