Chapter 18: Doomed Air Crash
The captain was obviously stunned. When Xu Cang suggested that he take control, he was relieved in his heart. The pressure of landing with a single engine in a strong crosswind was too great for him. The worst thing was that he had to face this.
"Are you the captain or an instructor? I heard from my family that your boarding pass says it's Blue Sky Airlines." The captain did not give a clear answer to Xu Cang's question, but asking this question was equivalent to seriously considering the feasibility of what Xu Cang said.
The flight attendant's boarding pass had information about the airline they belonged to, and the check-in counter staff informed the company of this, and Feiyu Airlines asked the captain for his opinion. Only with the captain's consent was Xu Cang allowed to board the plane.
At least it was certain that Xu Cang was a genuine pilot, but his specific rank was unknown. However, given the calmness Xu Cang had shown before, he subconsciously classified Xu Cang as a captain or above.
It's not that the captain's imagination is too strong. The appearance of the co-pilot, the captain, the instructor, especially the senior instructor, is quite different, and any civil aviation person with a little experience can tell the difference.
The captain's error in judging Xu Cang was understandable. Who would have thought that there was another soul hidden in Xu Cang?
Xu Cang was silent for a moment, and finally gave a vague answer: "Uh, I guess so."
The captain nodded but said nothing more. Instead, he called the cabin to explain the situation of the plane and the decision to return.
What's funny is that until the captain notified the cabin that the engine had stalled and the plane had to return to the field, the cabin crew didn't even know that one of the engines had been shut down.
The flight attendants were sitting in the front and rear workstations during takeoff, so it was understandable that they did not hear the engine noise clearly. However, the passengers in the front of the cabin, especially those on the right side, who were right next to the engine, did not feel anything at all, which was really strange.
However, this is also a good thing. If the passengers knew that an engine had stopped, they would probably panic and it would be difficult to calm them down.
Under the captain's instructions, the chief flight attendant revealed that the plane had a "minor" malfunction and needed to return, but did not intend to disclose the specific reason.
The process of comforting the cabin passengers went unexpectedly smoothly, which saved the crew a lot of worry. After handling everything, they just waited for ground support from the airport to arrive.
About eight or nine minutes later, the airport tower informed the crew that they could join the approach, and at the same time provided radar guidance to begin descending.
"I'll try it first. If it doesn't work, we'll talk later." The captain lowered his head and said this in a muffled voice. He wiped his face with a small towel and gave the co-pilot an order: "Verify altitude, speed check, flaps one!"
Xu Cang understood what the captain meant. He kept loosening and tightening his hands, and suppressed his restlessness. Perhaps it would soon be his turn.
…
At this moment, there is an independent apron near the head of Runway 23 of the airport below. This is a dedicated apron for business jets. In this era, business jets are still quite rare in China. There are only two business jets parked on the large independent apron, one of which is a white-painted Gulfstream GIV business jet, which is an ultra-long-range business jet that can fly intercontinentally.
There was a passenger ladder parked at the front cabin door of this Gulfstream business jet , and some staff were making necessary preparations below. It looked like it was about to take off.
The cabin of the business jet can accommodate more than a dozen people. However, at this moment, the cabin is empty, with only a beautiful woman flipping through a magazine in boredom. If Xu Cang were here, he would definitely be able to tell that this woman is the representative of Spring and Autumn Travel, and may be his future wife Qin Xin.
Qin Xin quickly turned the magazine to the last page, then threw it on the small table in front of her. She held her forehead and said with a hint of impatience, "Can't we leave yet?"
The secretary who had been with Qin Xin before immediately ran over from the front cabin, bent over and approached Qin Xin: "Miss, the cockpit said that the airport cannot let you leave, you need to wait a while."
"You're not allowed to leave. What's wrong?" Qin Xin raised her eyebrows: "Is the weather in Yangcheng bad?"
This time she returned to her hometown in Yangcheng on a specially approved temporary route. Logically, there should not be any delay in the flight schedule. The most reasonable explanation would be weather problems.
"It's not a weather problem. It seems there's a problem . Now the planes on the ground are not allowed to take off. They are all waiting."
Qin Xin became more interested: "What's the problem?"
The secretary pointed upwards with her slender jade finger: "In the sky, there is a plane whose engine has stalled. We need to wait for that plane to land first."
"The engine is stalled?" Even though Qin Xin had enough self-control, he couldn't help but be slightly surprised.
This is a big deal! Although Spring Travel is not involved in the aviation industry, it often deals with airlines, so she is considered a half-insider. In this case, the airport is probably in a state of emergency, so it is normal not to let them take off.
"Since they won't let us take off, I guess the plane is about to land, so let's wait a little longer." Qin Xin looked out the window at the sky, as if searching for something.
…
