[Secret Agent Man]

Lucky the engine didn’t fall off. That can start a plane spinning due to weight imbalance and then you’re probably done.

[diogenes ghost]

"That can start a plane spinning due to weight imbalance.."

You ARE kidding, right?

[MindBender26]

Actually, absent the thrust, with an engine near the longitudinal CG, losing the engine weight itself might not have been that much of a problem, but the further disturbance of airflow and spar damage, especially if the got it down near stall speed:

Stall, spin, crash, burn.

They are lucky they got it back to the a/p.