by J. R. Tate
Finally, a break in cars and he made his exit. There was a special parking area for pilots and he flashed his ID to the person working the gate. He knew the man’s face but never could remember his name - he was always smiling and had been doing it nearly as long as Jake had been flying. Waving at him, the gate swung upward and Jake pulled into his usual parking space. He wondered who his co-pilot would be for the day. He got along with most of the people who worked with him, including the flight attendants who really had the hard jobs of dealing with cranky passengers.
He joined his co-pilot in the briefing room - His name was Colin Durham and Jake had flown with him before. He had plenty of flight time experience but he was still young. As his maturity developed, he became a better pilot every day. Jake nodded at him as he opened his flight bag - it was time for their pre-flight preparations, which would include a meteorological briefing, route selection, flight plan preparations, and a physical inspection of the aircraft that they’d be using for the day.
“Good morning, Captain Shepherd and Pilot Durham.”
“Good morning, Mr. Hogan.” Jake shook their superior’s hand. He was a former captain, pilot, and now he worked as the pilot supervisor for the company. He held a leather binder that he opened, which contained their information for the day.
“I’m sure you’re both aware of the security level.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Be on alert. Fly your route. Make sure you communicate with your flight deck staff on security measures. Certain knocks to enter the cockpit, no passengers forming a line at the front of the cabin, and if anyone seems like a threat, make sure the proper procedures take place to remove them from the aircraft.”
It was the normal checklist they always went through, with heavy importance being placed on clear communication with their flight attendants. They were their eyes behind the door and would notify them of anything suspicious happening while in flight.
Jake and Colin went out to their aircraft. It was the first flight of the day for the airplane and the crew was already filling it with jet fuel, completing the pre-flight check, and maintenance was looking over the brake system, cooling system, and engines. The luggage cart was also there, already loading people’s suitcases and belongings into the belly of the plane. From that alone, Jake could tell that it would be a full flight. He nodded toward the three flight attendants who were already on the plane, stocking up the snacks and beverages for everyone.
“Good morning, Captain Shepherd!”
A female flight attendant greeted him - her name was Becky, and she seemed to be on the same schedule as Jake. The other two attendants were familiar, each one welcoming them on board with a smile. They introduced themselves as Nelly and Bryan, both appearing enthusiastic. Nestling into the cockpit, Jake put on his headset and communicated with the ground crew, going over their list of checks they had to ensure were functioning properly before they could even consider pushing back from the gate.
“How do three short knocks sound for entrance to the cockpit?” Becky poked her head inside, her dark hair bulled back in a bun, her makeup almost perfect.
“Sounds good to me. Three short knocks,” Jake clarified.
“Three short knocks,” Colin confirmed with a nod of his head.
“We’ll call if we need to use the restroom or anything.” Jake stopped Becky before she exited. “I’m sure they went over the security threat to y’all this morning.”
“They did. We’ll be paying close attention.”
Jake had the pre-flight tasks down well. After twenty years of the same thing, with minor alterations as the years passed, he could do it in his sleep. But it also meant he had to try extra hard not to get too complacent. If they skipped just one check it could prove detrimental for the equipment of the plane, as well as the possible danger the passengers could bring with them inside the cabin.
They left the cockpit open as the passengers began to board. Jake would catch glimpses of them as they waited in the aisles - the frustrating part about being a passenger was fighting for overhead bin space as well as cramping into the closed in seats. With his company, they didn’t have first class and it was open seating, which meant there was always competition for window and aisle seats. People patiently waited as others in front of them got situated - it was always what took the longest when getting off the ground and off to their destination, and unfortunately, a necessary evil.
Becky closed the cockpit door, reiterating their plan of three short knocks if one of them needed to open it. It was about time to be towed out onto the runway. The sound of the flight attendants going through the seat belt, flotation device, and oxygen mask routine could be heard through the door. Jake had heard it so much that he could spout it off himself. The ground crew motioned for the tow to push the plane back from the jet-way.
Queuing the overhead microphone, Jake spoke to the passengers in the cabin. “Good morning. We are headed to rainy Seattle today, so if that is not your destination, I suggest you flag a flight attendant down to get off. We’re looking at a little under a four hour flight time with sunny skies for most of the flight. Current weather in Seattle is cloudy and a cool fifty degrees. We’ll come back on overhead as we get close and if we anticipate any turbulence. Please relax and enjoy the flight.”
“Flight two-twenty eight, you are clear for take off.”
The air traffic controller’s tinny voice vibrated in Jake’s ears. They turned the corner and taxied to their designated runway. There was one plane in front of them and after it was gone, they’d be up next to go. Jake gripped the yoke tightly - he felt the sweat form on his palm and glanced over at Colin. His co-pilot appeared calm and collected but any seasoned pilot would tell you that deep inside, right before take off, adrenaline is pumping, heart beats are racing, and the excitement is why the majority of them stayed in the business.
“Flight two-twenty eight, you’re clear for departure.”
Jake allowed Colin to accelerate the plane, the inertia strong as they sped fast enough to get the plane to lift off of the ground. Pulling back on the yoke, the landing gear was no longer touching the asphalt. The aircraft gained altitude and there was nothing before them but complete blue skies.
“Pulling up landing gear. Landing gear is up,” Colin said and Jake confirmed it.
“It’s a beautiful day to fly, isn’t it?” Jake took a deep breath. “How many people can wake up every day and get the rush we get just from going to work?”
Colin flashed Jake a smile. “Hot damn, I love it!”
***
Alice was thankful that the start of her shift had started slowly. She had time to catch up on her charting and even had a second to enjoy another cup of coffee. The ruckus from the night before appeared to have been taken care of - many of the patients were already in private rooms on different floors, some were sent to ICU, but there was no clear evidence that a major wreck had even happened. She wouldn’t dare say it out loud - one mention of a calm shift and all hell would break loose. She kept it to herself - life as an emergency room nurse meant that things changed by the second.
“Good morning, Alice. Thank you for staying late last night.” Rose smiled, though there was a hint of exhaustion behind her dark eyes.
“I was the charge nurse last night. How would it have looked if I bailed on everyone?” Alice asked, watching as her coworker and fellow charge nurse got a bottle of water from the refrigerator and tossed one to her.
“How’d Jake take it?” Rose sat across from her, glancing up at the TV and back to Alice.
“As best as he could, I guess. Jake’s not one to raise a fuss when it comes to the job. I mean, look at his career. How many flight cancellations and delays that hindered him from getting home have I had to deal with?”
“That’s true,” Rose replied, her tone flat. “It takes a special person to be married to a pilot. But then again, it takes a special person to be married to an ER nurse, too. How in the hell has your marriage lasted?
”
Alice felt her cheeks heat up. Talking about her love life was not exactly what she wanted to do. She drank the water and tossed the bottle into the recycle bin. “This, coming from someone who has been divorced twice.” Alice nudged Rose. If they weren’t good friends she would’ve never brought up the touchy topic, but Rose would be the first to make jokes about her failed marriages.
“Exactly, which is why I’m asking you how you’ve made it work! I guess if I had a husband who looked like Jake, I’d do everything in my power to not let him go. Holy hell, Alice! The man is sexy.”
“He is, isn’t he?” Alice laughed and noted the time on her watch. It’d be time to make rounds and she needed to check the radio - she couldn’t miss report if an ambulance was bringing someone in.
“Combat pilot in the Air Force and everything. I don’t think I would’ve stayed late last night if it meant getting home to him.” Rose smirked and nudged her.
Alice stood up and adjusted the stethoscope that rested on her shoulders. “You really need to get laid, Rose. I gotta go do rounds. Maybe you oughta think about doing the same, huh?”
She didn’t allow Rose to respond - her friend was right. Jake was gorgeous and she found herself daydreaming about his green eyes, his dark and crazy hair, and how hot he looked in that Air Force uniform all those years ago. She was a lucky girl, which in turn made her wish they really did have more time to spend with each other. When they both had a night off together, whenever that may be, she was going to take full advantage of her time alone with him.
Aside from a few walk-ins for flu-like symptoms, things were quiet. Alice double checked on the other nurses - there were three others working the emergency room with her, including Rose. Today was the perfect day to be understaffed, though she anticipated a big call at any second. Then it would be all hands on deck.
Checking her watch again, she remembered Jake’s flight plan for the day. If flights were running on time, he had just taken off for Seattle. She wished she was on that flight - cool and rainy Seattle sounded amazing at the moment.
CHAPTER THREE
Jake relaxed once they got the airplane up to altitude. They were flying at about forty-five thousand feet, ground speed of five-hundred and fifteen miles per hour, and the sky remained calm and clear in front of them. He allowed Colin to take the controls - he needed the practice and Jake wanted to enjoy the view around them. It was just under a four hour flight, which was on the long side for domestic transport, but nothing compared to the flights he had to take when he was in the military.
“What’s the longest flight you’ve ever taken?” Jake asked, breaking the silence in the cockpit. The low hiss from the engines made it where they had to talk a little louder but each man was used to the sounds coming from the airplane.
Colin pondered the question for a moment, clicking his tongue against the top of his mouth. “I’ve had to fly to Europe. Across the Atlantic.”
“I used to do that run quite a bit. That’s a long one. Makes this flight look very short.”
“What about you? What’s the longest you have done?”
“Europe as well. But it was just the connection. We continued on to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Back when I was in the Air Force they had me flying all over the damn place. But it was for the best - it gave me enough flight hours to score this job.”
“Is that why you decided to be a pilot? Since you did it in the military?”
“Yes and no. I used to fly with my dad as a kid.”
Colin nodded and looked out of the side window. “Same here. My dad flew for American Airlines since I could remember.”
“Oh yeah? How’s he feel about you flying for a competing airline?” Laughing, Jake made sure to imply that it was a joke. He had flown with Colin before but didn’t know him well enough to gauge his sense of humor.
“He gave me hard time at first but now he enjoys having a son he can relate to. My mom hates when we get together and start talking about airplanes and flying. Though she knows more than she lets on - she was a flight attendant about the same amount of time my dad flew. That’s how they met each other.”
Jake enjoyed the conversation. He had flown with other pilots who rarely said much of anything, making the flights seem much longer than they really were. Colin seemed to have a bright future in front of him. He was calm but aware, self-assured, and willing to take the controls to gain the experience needed to eventually become a captain.
Jake heard three knocks on the door and opened up the cockpit - Becky was standing in the threshold, offering each of them a steaming cup of coffee and a small bag of cookies to go with it. He wasn’t hungry just yet after the breakfast he had prepared for him and Alice but they’d be nice to snack on halfway through the flight.
“Thanks, Becky. You’re a lifesaver.”
“I can grab y’all some cream and sugar if you like.”
“Black is fine. Thanks again. How’s it going in the cabin?” Jake asked, craning his head to look over his shoulder. From the angle he was sitting at, he couldn’t see a lot of the passengers, but the few he saw were already snoozing.
“Quiet. Everyone is reading, playing on their tablets, or sleeping.”
“Perfect flight,” Colin said, chiming in on their conversation for the first time.
“Yeah but also makes time crawl. I’ll check on you boys in a little bit.”
The cockpit door slammed behind Becky, leaving the two pilots back to their task at hand - they were cruising even higher now, at about forty-eight thousand feet. Jake increased their speed to five hundred and twenty miles per hour - they had only hit a few minor patches of turbulence so he also turned off the fasten seat belt sign, granting the passengers a chance to get up for the restroom, to stretch their legs, or if they needed to grab something from the overhead bins.
“We might make it to Seattle before schedule,” Colin said, checking their flight path.
As soon as he spoke, the plane hit a large pocket of air, making it shimmy and jump up several feet before plummeting into a free fall for about five seconds. The large bout of turbulence made Jake’s stomach fall with it, as if he were on a huge dip in a roller coaster at an amusement park. All of the navigation tools shut off, leaving black screens where the systems once guided them. The plane plummeted again, only this time Jake was unable to pull the yoke up to get it to level out.
“What the f…” He cut himself off as he flipped the switch to the system off and on, but got no response. Speaking into his headset, he said, “Mayday, mayday, this is flight two twenty-eight flying to Seattle out of Dallas Love Field. Mayday, we have lost all programs, navigation systems, and it’s hard keeping this plane in the air. We are descending quickly!”
The mayday call went out, only to be replaced by a large amount of static that was deafening in Jake’s headphones. Looking over at Colin, the younger pilot’s eyes were wide, his hands gripping his yoke so tight that his knuckles were turning white.
“Holy shit, we can’t check anything! The computers went black. There’s no one on the radio!” Jake tried to stay calm but without any of their systems working, there was no way to control the plane that was controlled almost completely by technology that left them falling rapidly toward the ground.
“All three flight computers are out,” Colin said, his voice shaking as he looked out the side window. “We’ve dropped at least fifteen thousand feet. It’s hard to say without our systems up.”
Jake looked out of his side window and Colin was right - the ground was getting closer and with their rapid descent, the plane’s engines whined and whistled from the abrupt change in altitude.
“How can we not tell our altitude? That’s not part of the flight computers.” Jake inquired out loud, though Colin likely didn’t know the answer to it.
The engines sputtered until they completely crashed, leaving the plane in an all out free fall. Jake had to self-motivate - he had been through hundreds of training exercises with glider
s. He knew how to guide a plane to safety. He even had a couple of crash landings when he was in the military, but none of them included a large commercial jet with hundreds of passengers in the cabin fearing for their lives. The oxygen masks were likely down as the cabin pressure was completely shot from the sudden plunge in altitude.
“Mayday!” Colin yelled into the headset but it was a lost cause - any communication with the ground was hindered along with the systems inside the airplane.
What had happened? Jake speculated lightning but there were no storms on the radar - it could be a weather phenomenon where there is lightning with no storm to go along with it but it was an unlikely scenario. Had the plane been tampered with? There was no way they had missed a system outage during their walk through before the flight. And a nationwide system outage usually didn’t down a plane - it usually just hindered ground control at the airports.
Jake was running out of time. The engines were shot and as he tried to pull the plane up to glide, the yoke felt as if he were maneuvering it through thick mud. It was like he was controlling a vehicle without power steering, only this was on a much larger scale.
Out of desperation, Jake tried to start the engines back up to no avail. They were dead and though he knew they didn’t stand a chance in functioning enough to allow a safe landing, he tried anyway.
“Jesus, it’s like we’re flying with dead weight on our back,” Jake said, still attempting to glide the plane as best as he could.
The ground was getting closer, the speed of their fall was getting faster, and a crash landing was imminent. He tried to open the cockpit door but there was no way he could do that and maintain the slight control he actually did have. He pushed the button to signal for a flight attendant. It was a lost cause but he had to try - maybe some of their systems were still working. With the angle of the plane flying downward, the chance that Becky or one of the others being able to get to a standing position to get to them was impossible and it would just put them in more danger.