So... Is This The End?

Adrenaline Rush

"Oh my God, this is total power failure!" Yusuf gasped at the array of displays in front of him as they simply went blank. "Good thing we've still got the transponder going on backup power." The transponder is a clever piece of contraption in aircrafts that constantly sends out location updates of the plane to the Air Traffic Control tower. The radar systems at the Air Traffic Control processes that information to pinpoint the position of the plane as a green dot on the display. Yusuf's concern was that if the transponder fails too, the ATC personnel wouldn't know their accurate location. It would be "flying blind" without directions as to where to land!

"This just doesn't make sense," Christina muttered as she checked and rechecked the fuel pressure systems. "Okay, the guys who loaded Flight 143 messed up between kilo and pounds and caused the plane to go dead mid-air as it had taken off with its tank half filled!" Christina frowned. "But seriously, this is India. We don't think pounds here, let alone use..." She was interrupted by a warning alarm.

"Now that's what I feared. Transponder's dead!" Yusuf shuddered as he flicked the alarm switch off. "How far till Mumbai?" He looked over at Christina. She looked deathly pale.

"It's 275 as per last log," Christina replied as she flipped through the checklist, "about ninety seconds before we went blind." She rubbed her temple. "Yusuf I don't think we're going to last that long!" Panic evident in her voice.

"Reason?" Yusuf asked as he struggled with the control column to keep the plane steady. Darn! This thing feels so heavy and dead with the engines out! The winds were making it too difficult for him to avoid the sudden jerks.

"We've made about 345 since we took off from Delhi. If my calculations are correct, at the rate we're plummeting, we can't just glide to Mumbai relying only on winds and gravity." Christina chewed her pencil as she frowned at the notepad she held in her hand. To top it all, we're blind and it's still freaking 275 to cover!"

"Flight T104. We've lost you!" The radio message sent shivers down Christina's spine. "Yusuf, We need a diversion, NOW!"

Yusuf nodded as he quickly did the math in his mind. She's right, we won't make it in one piece to Mumbai! "Go ahead."

"T104 to ATC Mumbai. We won't make it. Requesting closest diversion. Do you read me? Requesting closest diversion." Christina radioed. 

With clenched teeth Yusuf struggled with the foot pedals to keep the glide as smooth as possible. He could feel the crosswinds lashing like crazy on to the enormous fuselage of the 767. For a split second he imagined the plane getting ripped off into two! He quicky shook the thought away. Not a good time for this!

"Roger that T104. Just hang on tight and keep her steady. Figuring out the coordinates. I'm sorry we don't know where you are!"

 ***

"Folks, folks, they've lost the transponder. Let's switch to primary radar." Senior Officer Vijay of Surat ATC shouted over the commotion that had started within the control tower when the dot representing Flight T104 just vanished from the radar. "Just got word from Mumbai ATC. Last update- 275 to destination and about 120 to here. So their closest diversion would be here at Surat. I need fire engines, ambulances and all other emergency equipment ready."

"You got it Sir." A Trainee Officer hurried to his post to dispatch the message.

"How's is it going on the location? Any luck." Vijay had five years of ATC experience behind him to know that it was going to take time to know exactly where Flight T104 was right now. However, his high stakes job description required him to keep pushing. And given the current scenario, he didn't have a choice. The captivating beauty of the setting sun in the Arabian sea did little to calm his nerves. Damn, I need a vacation! He sighed.

During his trainee days, Vijay had thought the view of the sea from up here at the control tower was, well, breathtaking. But now, it all felt like a joke, as if mocking the stuff that went on in here. A moment's mistake can make a land into a crash-land.

"Sir, we got it. 200 from Mumbai. 80 from here." Another Trainee Officer ran towards him with a piece of paper that he had used to make his calculations. "As you say Sir, did it the old-school way." He grinned.

"Excellent! Showtime folks." Vijay proceeded to the console, pulled up a chair and drew his mouthpiece. "This is Surat ATC to Flight T104. Do you read me?"

"Affirmative." A woman's voice cracked through the speakers. "This is First Officer Christina." Vijay heaved a sigh of relief. A least their radio was still holiding up on backup power.

"Officer Christina, we know your position. You're 80 from emergency landing at Surat. That's about, I'd say fifteen minutes, depending on current wind speeds." God! A freaking 767 gliding up there! Vijay shuddered. "Standby for further instructions. Do NOT deploy landing gear until you get visual. I repeat, do not..." He repeated.

"ATC, this is Captain Yusuf here. I've got a strange request." The people at the control tower in charge of T104 emergency held their their breath, listening intently. "Can you get me someone who's flown gliders before? These crosswinds are making it more and more difficult to maneuver this thing."

Vijay cleared his throat. "Captain Yusuf, this is Senior Officer Vijay here in charge of ATC Surat. I'm a former glider pilot. My pleasure to work with you Sir."