Chapter 350 Destiny!
"What?" Xu Cang's face changed drastically: "What's going on?"
Lu Jinghua's face flushed red, and he was obviously anxious. "China Airlines Flight 611 was scheduled to fly to Hong Kong. We had a colleague from the marketing department on the plane. He was going back to visit his relatives, and he also contacted them in advance about possible charter flights for the New Year. He originally planned to return via Hong Kong, but this happened."
At that time, there were no direct flights between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and flights usually went through Hong Kong . The employee of Spring Airlines was from the mainland, but he had relatives on the other side, and he occasionally went back to visit them, but he never thought of the problem.
Several years ago, the mainland could go to the other province indirectly via Hong Kong and Macau. However, there is news recently that direct round-trip air flights between the two sides may be arranged during the Chinese New Year next year. This is not a fixed flight, but it is also a good sign.
There is a high probability that Spring Airlines will not be involved, but it is possible to get some information and make preparations early in case of emergency. In case something good happens, there must be someone to catch it, right?
"Last night, he reported to me about his work, saying that the New Year flights were mainly arranged by airlines from other provinces, and we basically had no involvement, and then..."
Xu Cang wiped his face, his mind buzzing: "Are you sure?"
"Strictly speaking, it has not been confirmed yet." Lu Jinghua paused for a moment and reviewed what he knew now: "Now I can confirm that China Airlines Flight 611 made its last air-ground communication at an altitude of nearly 10,000 meters after takeoff. About twelve minutes later, the aircraft's radar signal disappeared at an altitude of 10,600 meters, 23 nautical miles northeast of Penghu. Since then, the aircraft's radar signal has never appeared again."
"Until now?"
Lu Jinghua nodded: "Until now!"
Xu Cang paced back and forth in the conference room, and finally took out his cell phone to call his master.
"Master, are you in the headquarters now?"
"Yes, what's the matter?" Chen Xiangdong heard the anxiety in Xu Cang's words and misunderstood: "Xu Cang, did Old Wu call you just now? Let me tell you... this matter..."
"No, Master, there is a plane on the other side whose radar signal disappeared near Penghu. Did you know?"
"Hmm?" Chen Xiangdong could clearly be heard standing up from the phone: "How did you know that?"
"Master, please ask the Aviation Security Department. They have the most up-to-date and fastest information. A colleague from our company is on that plane, and I want to confirm the current situation of the plane."
Chen Xiangdong also realized the seriousness of the problem: "Wait for my call, I'll go find Li Lin right away."
After saying that, Chen Xiangdong hung up the phone directly, and seemed to be in a hurry to find Li Lin, the director of the Aviation Safety Department.
Putting down the phone, Xu Cang bit his lip anxiously. Because of some technical failure, it is possible that the radar signal disappears, but according to Lu Jinghua, it has been a long time, and as time goes by, the probability of the so-called technical failure is getting smaller.
"Is there any abnormal weather in the airspace where the accident occurred? Are there any transponder-related failures on the aircraft on duty?" Xu Cang looked at Lu Jinghua and asked.
"No, the weather on the route is very good. However, I don't know the condition of the aircraft. However, as far as I know, the flight was originally scheduled to be operated by a 747-400, but due to a malfunction, it was temporarily replaced by a 747-200."
"747-200?" Xu Cang was stunned: "That is a very old aircraft."
The 747-200 is a very old model. Xu Cang estimated that the aircraft was probably more than fifteen years old.
However, Lu Jinghua gave a surprising number: "The age of the aircraft is not very old, but very old. It seems to be more than 22 years old. It's really outrageous."
"Twenty-two years?" Even Xu Cang was shocked. For a passenger plane, it was considered exaggerated if the plane was over fifteen years old. Even Xu Cang had never heard of a plane that was twenty-two years old and still flying. "Aren't there any corresponding regulations over there for such a long time?"
"It seems that there are restrictions on the use of aircraft over 20 years old. Unless in some emergency situations, they are not allowed to fly flights." Lu Jinghua sighed: "The aircraft originally scheduled to fly China Airlines Flight 661 was a 747-400, and its age was normal. As a result, this 747-400 broke down, and there were no backup 747s. It happened to be an emergency situation under the regulations, so China Airlines activated the 747-200."
"China Airlines Flight 661?" Xu Cang tried hard to search his memory, but he seemed not to find the corresponding memory.
Xu Cang didn't know about all aviation accidents, perhaps this was one he missed.
"Don't notify his family before it's confirmed." Xu Cang glanced at the mobile phone on the table. As if in response to Xu Cang's waiting, the phone screen immediately lit up. It was the caller ID!
Xu Cang immediately stepped over and glanced at the phone screen. It was indeed Chen Xiangdong's number, so he answered the call immediately: "Master, is there any news?"
"Xu Cang, it seems that something really happened with China Airlines. Flight 661, the radar signal disappeared near Penghu, and we haven't been able to get in touch with them yet. I'm afraid they are in danger. A search and rescue team has been sent over there. If there is any new information, I will notify you immediately."
"Okay, thank you, Master."
"What's the difference?" Chen Xiangdong coughed twice. "Although I'm not sure, Xu, you can be mentally prepared."
"Well, I understand." Xu Cang said in a heavy tone, "I'll see to it. By the way, Master, can you fax me the information about China Airlines Flight 661 that you can get now?"
"That's fine. But I don't know much. Of course, you should just read this kind of thing and don't spread it around."
Xu Cang hummed: "I understand this."
After saying that, Xu Cang hung up the phone, looked at Lu Jinghua, and sighed: "It looks like something really happened."
…
At the Xiangjiang Airport, Lian Shanli dragged her tired body out of the cabin with her brother Lian Shanjin. They felt extremely tired after more than ten hours of flight. However, walking on the corridor bridge and blowing the air-conditioned air from the corridor bridge, Lian Shanli's spirits lifted a little.
After walking out of the corridor bridge, Lian Shanli took out her cell phone from her pocket and turned it on. It beeped several times, which was the sound of message notifications. Among them was a text message from her parents, asking them to call her after landing to report that they were safe. However, compared with the greeting text message from her parents, a text message with the note "Shen Ning" made Lian Shanli smile.
There wasn't much in the text message. It just said that the flight took off on time and asked her to call or text after landing.
"Sister, are we still taking the bus? Or let's stay nearby for one night and leave tomorrow. I'm so tired." Lian Shanjin couldn't walk properly. He held Lian Shanli's arm, and his legs seemed to have their own consciousness and walked around aimlessly.
Lian Shanli had a smile on her face, but when she saw her brother's expression, she immediately became furious and pushed Lian Shanjin away in disgust: "Are you walking in the wrong way? Are you looking for a fight?"
It is said that an elder sister is like a mother. Lian Shanjin was not afraid of his parents, but Lian Shanli. When Lian Shanli glared at him, he immediately straightened his walking posture, no longer showing any casualness.
Lian Shanjin was angry but didn't dare to vent his anger, so he could only sulk and pout, "I've been on the plane for more than ten hours, I just want to lie down now."
"Teenagers just want to lie down until you're gone. There's plenty of time to lie down. Why rush?"
"No more?" Lian Shanjin was stunned, then he slapped his forehead and said, "Forget it, forget it, I'll listen to you, I'll listen to you."
Lian Shanli threw her handbag to Lian Shanjin, and then called Shen Ning. However, the phone said that the other party's phone was turned off.
"Huh? It hasn't landed yet?" Lian Shanli was a little surprised. Shen Ning's flight should have landed in Hong Kong more than an hour ago. "Did you forget to turn on the phone?"
Lian Shanli called again, but still got no response, and the caller's phone was turned off.
However, Lian Shanli did not think too much about it. Instead, she thought about it, edited a text message and sent it, making an appointment to meet at Exit 4 of the arrival gate.
Lian Shanjin was initially dissatisfied with his sister's behavior of leaving all the luggage to him, but when he saw Lian Shanli editing a text message, he curiously leaned over and asked, "Who are you sending it to, brother-in-law?"
As a result, before he could get the answer, Lian Shanli slapped him in the face, and the curiosity he had aroused was immediately extinguished.
Lian Shanjin felt that life was hopeless when he thought that he would have to live under the shadow of Lian Shanli for the rest of his life. He hoped that there would be a man who could marry Lian Shanli so that he could escape from the sea of suffering.
Lian Shanli sent the text message and put away her phone, but did not take her luggage back.
"Sister, your bag." Lian Shanjin approached with a little embarrassment, hoping that Lian Shanli would take his things back.
Lian Shanli glanced at him and said, "It's not okay for a boy to carry an extra bag, right?"
“No…” Lian Shanjin was about to say this, but met Lian Shanli’s murderous gaze and swallowed it back immediately: “Okay, okay, okay, it’s not serious, sister!”
Lian Shanli was very satisfied: "Not bad, you are my good brother. Didn't you just say that you don't want to take the car tonight? Then don't leave. Let's leave the airport later and find a place to stay. Sleep until you wake up naturally tomorrow and then leave."
"Ah? Is that okay?" Lian Shanjin was so excited that he almost jumped up: "Then let's put the things away tonight and go shopping?"
"You're still shopping? Just stay in the hotel. I have things to do and can't take care of you." Lian Shanli yawned: "Let's find a room with a computer. You want to play games, so just play in the room."
In the past, Lian Shanjin would have been very happy to have this, but now he narrowed his eyes and said, "Sister, what's the matter with you? Are you going on a date with someone?"
Lian Shanli stopped walking immediately, twisted Lian Shanjin's ear with her left hand, and made a circle, causing Lian Shanjin to scream in pain like a pig being slaughtered.
There were other people around, so Shanli couldn't go too far. She let him go after a little punishment, then snorted with a stern look in her eyes, "You're the only one with a mouth, and you're the only one who can talk, huh?"
"I'm just concerned about who my brother-in-law is. I'm not talking nonsense." Lian Shanjin muttered.
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking." Lian Shanli threatened: "Don't mind my business."
Lian Shanjin had obviously forgotten the pain after the wound healed. As soon as Lian Shanli let go, he began to smile playfully: "Sister, is that Xu Cang? I had a good impression of him when we were in Munich before."
"Xu Cang?" Lian Shanli was stunned for a moment: "Why do you have such hallucinations?"
Lian Shanjin scratched his head: "Ah? Isn't it?"
"Isn't it?" Lian Shanli raised her hand, and immediately frightened Lian Shanjin so much that his neck shrank and he dared not speak anymore.
Lian Shanli and her brother took about ten minutes to walk slowly to the baggage hall, picked up their checked luggage, and walked out to the arrival exit. Lian Shanli looked at her phone again, but Shen Ning still hadn't replied. She let out a sigh and called again, but the other party's phone was still turned off.
"What is he doing?" Lian Shanli muttered, looked around, and her eyes quickly fixed on a passenger information point not far away.
Lian Shanjin was a little surprised when he saw Lian Shanli didn't leave: "Sister, what's wrong?"
"Wait for me here, I'll go over there to ask something." As he said that, Lian Shanjin left Lian Shan Lishe and headed towards the tourist information point.
When I walked to the counter, the waiter smiled professionally: "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Excuse me, can you help me check the flight status?"
"If the flight takes off or lands here, it can be checked."
Lian Shanli quickly said, "It landed here."
"That's fine." The service staff typed a few times on the computer keyboard, then looked up at Lian Shanli: "Excuse me, do you know the flight number?"
Lian Shanli took out her phone and looked through the text messages she had sent to Shen Ning: "It's China Airlines...Flight 661."
"China Airlines 661..." The service staff entered the flight number and waited for a moment, but his expression became strange.
Lian Shanli saw the waiter's expression change and her heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong?"
"Sorry, the flight information shows that China Airlines Flight 661 is in an abnormal state..."
"Abnormal state?" Lian Shanli suddenly became nervous: "Is something wrong? What does this mean?"
"Not necessarily." The service staff smiled and said, "Most of the abnormal conditions will result in a return flight or an emergency landing. The specific cause of the abnormal condition cannot be found here. I will call our manager and ask him. Wait a moment."
Hearing the waiter say this, Lian Shanli breathed a sigh of relief.
If the plane returned or made an emergency landing for some reason, then it would explain why Shen Ning didn't answer the phone or reply to text messages.
Sure enough, the service staff immediately called his superior: "Manager, I have a lady here who wants to check the status of China Airlines Flight 661. However, the status shows abnormality. Can you check the specific situation?"
Lian Shanli immediately pricked up her ears and waited a little nervously.
However, the next second, the muscles on the waiter's face twitched noticeably, and then he looked at Lian Shanli with an inexplicable look.
Lian Shanli's heart, which had originally been at ease, was immediately weighed down.
"Okay, I got it. I'll tell him." After that, the service staff hung up the phone and sighed softly: "Ma'am, we just received news that China Airlines Flight 661 is now missing. The plane lost contact two hours ago, and we have not received any update information about China Airlines Flight 661 so far."
Lian Shanli was struck by lightning and almost lost her balance: "Missing...missing?"
…
"Damn, this plane is really 22 years old." In the conference room, Xu Cang looked at the documents of China Airlines Flight 661 faxed by Chen Xiangdong, which included some information about the 747-200 aircraft that operated the flight.
Just as Lu Jinghua said, the age of this plane is extremely exaggerated, at twenty-two years and seven months, which is a few years younger than Xu Cang, it is really outrageous.
Although the age of an aircraft does not necessarily mean that it is unsafe, a 22-year-old aircraft cannot be completely guaranteed to be safe by maintenance. It is precisely because of this consideration that the Civil Aviation Administration of China has restricted the use of aircraft over 20 years old, but it seems that there is still a problem.
"This plane hasn't flown for a long time, but there has never been any record of transponder failure." Lu Jinghua was also looking at these documents. To be honest, apart from its age, this 747-200 didn't seem to have any major problems.
Now many people probably hope that the transponder and communication system will all fail, so that the radar signal cannot be seen and communication cannot be established.
However, there is still a possibility that any one of them will fail, but the possibility of both failing at the same time is very small.
In the document that Chen Xiangdong faxed over, there was also a chart of the altitude changes of China Airlines Flight 661. Xu Cang looked at the chart with great solemnity: "This plane did not make any altitude descent movements before the radar signal disappeared. This... is not good."
Lu Jinghua was startled: "What do you mean?"
Xu Cang threw the chart aside and said, "Considering the extremely old age of the aircraft, this situation is actually more consistent with...the performance of mid-air disintegration."
Lu Jinghua's face turned pale all of a sudden: "Are you saying that the plane was flying and suddenly disintegrated in the air?"
"This is more consistent with the information shown now." Xu Cang held his forehead and said, "But if this is the case, there is no way to survive."
As Xu Cang spoke, he looked at a piece of paper in the pile of documents. It was the passenger list of China Airlines Flight 661.
Among them was a name called Chen Nian, which was the name of the colleague from Spring Summer Airlines.
"Is all the information correct?" Xu Cang clicked his lips and glanced at Lu Jinghua with a somewhat depressed look.
"That's him." Lu Jinghua sighed sincerely, "In order to get reimbursed, he sent me the ticket information in advance, and it matches the information above exactly."
Xu Cang sat down on the chair and licked his lips. There were a total of 233 passengers on it. What a tragedy this would be!
Suddenly, Xu Cang caught a glimpse of another name on the list out of the corner of his eye, and his heart suddenly tightened.
At the very bottom of the passenger list there is a name - Shen Ning!
"Shen Ning?" Xu Cang's face suddenly changed: "Not good, Lian Shanli!"
