“This is the captain. We have lost both engines. I repeat, both engines are out. We are declaring an emergency. Brace for impact. Flight attendants, prepare the cabin for emergency landing.”
Both engines. The realization hit Kate like a physical blow. A twin-engine failure was catastrophic. Without engines, the plane was essentially a glider, and a Boeing 777 was a very heavy glider that did not glide well. They were drifting over mountains with few suitable landing sites. The pilots would be desperately looking for anywhere to put it down. This was bad. Really bad.
Around her, the passengers were hysterical. The man next to her was frozen in terror, gripping his armrests so hard his knuckles were white. The woman across the aisle was sobbing uncontrollably. Flight attendants were shouting instructions about brace positions, but many passengers were too panicked to listen.
Kate made a decision.
She unbuckled and stood up, ignoring the steep angle of the plane. She grabbed the seat backs for balance and made her way toward the front, moving against the tilt of the descending aircraft. A flight attendant tried to stop her.
“Ma’am, you need to sit down immediately.”
Kate looked her in the eye.
“I need to talk to the pilots. Right now. I’m a military pilot, and I might be able to help.”
Her voice had the tone of command that made people listen. The flight attendant hesitated only a second, then nodded. She grabbed the intercom phone and spoke to the cockpit. Ten seconds later, the cockpit door opened. Kate moved forward quickly.
Inside the cockpit was chaos. Both pilots were working frantically, trying every procedure, flipping switches, pushing buttons, and attempting to restart engines that refused to respond. The instruments showed a nightmare scenario. No thrust. Altitude dropping fast. Mountains ahead.
The captain, a gray-haired veteran named Mike Sullivan, looked up as Kate entered.
“Who are you? You need to get back to your seat.”
Kate spoke fast and clear.
“Captain, I’m Kate Morrison, Air Force Captain, F-22 pilot, 3,000 flight hours, including emergency procedures and deadstick landings. I know aircraft systems, and I know how to handle emergencies. Tell me what’s happening, and maybe I can help.”
Captain Sullivan stared at her for one second, then made a decision. They were going to crash anyway. What did he have to lose?
