CHAPTER FIFTY ANNA
CHAPTER FIFTY
A NNA
When the landing gear slams against the waterlogged runway a second time, Anna is jolted against her shoulder harnesses, although this impact is not as hard as the first. The aircraft stays on the ground, but the tires skim across the surface of the wet tarmac as the anti-skid braking system begins cycling continuously. The engines roar when Miguel pulls the reverse thrust levers back to maximum thrust.
A strong gust of wind swings the nose to the left. Anna is jerked to the right, her harness cutting into her neck as the back of the plane starts to fishtail. She knows Miguel must be pushing hard on the right rudder, but the nose continues to swing left. Anna places her hand on the glareshield to brace herself as the airplane slides sideways. Miguel reduces the reverse thrust on the left engine, she realizes, as a last resort. Sliding sideways at over one hundred miles an hour, Anna fears they will tip over.
“I can’t hold it!” Miguel yells as the nose swings toward the grass separating them from the passenger terminal. “Help me with more right rudder!”
Anna presses hard with her foot on the right rudder, trying to help steer the plane back toward the runway. But the nose keeps turning left. A thumping fills the cockpit as the nose gear strikes the runway edge lights.
Her eyes widen with panic as the nose continues its trajectory. Now they’re sliding backward at over eighty miles an hour—the tail of the airplane headed directly for the East River. Miguel must realize the reverse thrust is speeding the airplane toward the river, and he pushes the reverse thrust levers full forward.
Anna sends a panicked glance at Miguel, worried that if he keeps applying pressure to the brakes, the airplane will tip onto its tail, and they’ll lose control of the plane.
“Ease up on the brakes!” she yells, and he lets up the pressure on his brake pedals.
At the same time, he pushes the thrust levers full forward to their stowed position. The engines roar as they accelerate to full power, but the airplane starts to slow.
Heart pounding, Anna stares out the windscreen. The runway lights are flashing past more slowly.
“We’re slowing down!”
The airplane comes to a halt with the tail hanging precariously over the edge of the break wall, but the main wheels remain on the concrete at the end of the runway. Miguel draws the thrust levers back to idle. The roar of the engines quiets as he presses his feet against the brake pedals. They both sit in silence for a few seconds, assessing their status.
“You okay?” Miguel asks.
Anna nods, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her neck. “I’m good.”
“Let’s hope the rest of the passengers are too. It was an honor to fly with you, Anna. I was happy to have such competent help tonight in the flight deck.”
“Thank you.” She gives him an exhausted smile. “You too.”
“You’re going to make one hell of a captain.”
She flashes him a grin. “If I don’t quit after today.”
“After today, you’ll be able to handle anything.” Miguel grabs the PA microphone from the rear pedestal. “Remain seated, remain seated, remain seated!”
He lowers the microphone and clears his throat before continuing his announcement. Anna’s chest constricts as she thinks of Derek falling out of the side of the plane while trying to help the mother of the missing baby. She guesses Miguel is thinking of him too. Derek couldn’t have been more than thirty-five.
Miguel wipes the side of his cheek. “I can’t believe we lost one of our own tonight.”
“Me neither.” She’s never lost anyone on a flight before, let alone a crew member. At least Derek didn’t suffer, she thinks; he would’ve been killed instantly upon impact. Still, she shudders to imagine his free fall to the ground. It would’ve been terrifying.
Her thoughts shift to the missing infant as Miguel finally lifts the intercom toward his mouth. She looks out her side window at the small waves forming on the East River in the first light of morning.
Landing without the baby, and knowing he’d been on the plane this whole time, she can’t help but feel that they’ve failed.