In the event of a vacuum pump failure, what occurs in the system?

In the event of a vacuum pump failure, the correct response is that the other pump picks up the load. In multi-engine aircraft that are equipped with multiple vacuum pumps, the system is designed with redundancy in mind. This means that if one vacuum pump fails, the other functioning pump can take over the workload. This redundancy helps ensure that critical instruments, such as the attitude indicator and other vacuum-dependent systems, continue to operate normally and do not experience a failure that could compromise safety.

In this scenario, the performance of the remaining vacuum pump allows the aircraft to maintain full operational capability, thereby reducing the risk of an in-flight emergency due to instrument failure. The instruments that rely on the vacuum system typically have some measure of protection against a single point failure, which enhances safety and reliability in flight operations.