The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 181 Landing
"Turn to heading 240 and fly directly to Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL). Immediate descent to 10000 feet is permitted! Air traffic control frequency 121.9 has informed them of your situation!"

The command sounded in the cockpit, and the expressions of Captain Keo and First Officer Ivan instantly turned serious.

Now is not the time to relax.

Captain Ke O reported the situation directly through the public address system (PA) in a calm but serious tone.

"Attention passengers, this is the captain's announcement. For some reason, we are making an emergency landing and are expected to arrive at Philadelphia International Airport in about 10 minutes."

Please return to your seat immediately, fasten your seatbelt, stop using the restroom, and strictly follow the flight attendants' instructions. Remain calm; the situation is completely under control.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker, and Eric breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the cockpit had finally found an alternate airport and could make an emergency landing.

There are now only 21 minutes left until the explosion.

If the landing can be completed in ten minutes, that would be good news.

Before Eric could even start thinking about anything else, a figure sat down in the aisle seat next to him.

It was Bill.

Eric glanced at the chaotic scene ahead and whispered, "Is your mission over?"

Bill fastened his seatbelt tightly and, upon hearing Eric's voice, instinctively took a deep breath.

Even in this seemingly urgent situation, the young man's voice didn't change at all. He definitely has a strong heart and his mental fortitude is terrifying.

"It's over. Now let's see if God will protect us!"

Upon hearing this, Eric glanced at the old man sitting in the front seat who was repeatedly making the sign of the cross on his chest. He also subconsciously made the sign of the cross on his chest, muttering to himself:
"God help me, I'm a good man, a nemesis of evil, born to fight against wickedness, I can't just die like this."

America is, after all, God's domain, so praying to Him might actually work.

Bill watched Eric's actions, his lips twitched, and he shook his head, saying, "You seem completely unafraid?"

"Whether I'm afraid or not, it's all the same. I've done what I had to do." After finishing, Eric felt much more at ease. Sometimes, faith is just a special way to seek peace of mind.

Even Bill started untying his daughter's bandages and retying them; this guy wasn't as calm as he appeared.

Of course, he isn't either.

“If I survive this, I plan to resign and retire,” Bill said suddenly, as he bandaged himself up, seemingly having come to a realization.

"I'm going back to visit my daughter and spend quality time with her. I missed out on her childhood and I owe her so much. This time, I must at least be there for her throughout her entire adolescence."

At this point, he even looked at Eric and asked, "You're single?"

Eric shook his head: "I chose to fly this time to go see my girlfriend."

“I see.” Bill smiled.

The two chatted casually, trying to ease the tension, but the cabin remained chaotic.

At this point, Nancy's role as chief flight attendant was particularly important. She took over the subsequent arrangements and led the entire crew to check each row.

Even in the midst of the urgency, they still managed to ensure that all passengers fastened their seatbelts, stowed their tray tables, straightened their seatbacks, and turned off their electronic devices at a remarkably fast pace.

"Please cooperate with us; this is standard safety procedure. Keep your head down."

After completing this step, Nancy and the other flight attendants went to their respective seats and sat down.

Meanwhile, the cockpit began preparations for landing.

Captain Keo took over control and began the operation, first slowly descending to 10,000 feet to reduce the pressure difference during the explosion and lower the risk of structural damage.

The aircraft then slowed down, adjusted its flaps, and shut down non-essential systems. Meanwhile, First Officer Ivan contacted the control tower at Philadelphia International Airport, the alternate airport.

"Philadelphia Tower, Delta Air Lines UA567, emergency! There is an active bomb on board. Approximately 20 minutes remaining! Requesting priority landing!"

A response that had been waiting for the cockpit's report rang out.

"Delta Airways UA567, Philadelphia Tower received! Runway 27R, cleared for landing! Wind direction 280, wind speed 10 knots. All emergency units are on standby at the runway threshold!"

Captain Ke Ao looked grave. Based on his experience, he chose a smooth approach to avoid triggering the bombs due to vibrations.

With a gentle press of the control stick, the aircraft descended at a rate of 2000 feet per minute.
As the tense moments ticked by, even Eric couldn't control the subtle expressions on his face.

Because he could already feel the plane rapidly descending.

Eric glanced out the porthole; clouds were rushing past, and he could feel a slight throbbing in his ears—the cabin pressure was gradually changing.

Eric gripped the armrest slightly. Although he felt there was still plenty of time and that there was a 70% chance of surviving after successfully identifying the suspect, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

After all, that damn bomb was just a short distance away.

Some of the passengers in front began to sob.

-

"Continue descending to 5000 feet, turn right onto heading 190, and fly directly to Philadelphia's 27R runway."

Following the tower's guidance, Captain Coo took the controls, while First Officer Ivan monitored the engine parameters to ensure stable thrust, and coordinated with his captain to adjust the flaps to 5 degrees to increase lift.

At the same time, set a new approach route on the navigation screen.

Before long, the plane pierced through the clouds, and the Philadelphia skyline suddenly appeared.

The area around the airport has been completely cleared, with no other planes taking off or landing. Only flashing fire trucks and ambulances are waiting at the end of the runway.

Runway 27R resembles a thin gray line, with densely packed runway lights on both sides, all of which are fully lit even during the day to indicate an emergency.

The two people in the cockpit breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they reached the airport before the bomb exploded, their chances of survival would increase dramatically.

First Officer Ivan quickly checked the ILS instrument landing system to confirm that the glide slope signal was stable.

The tower's instructions were still ringing out, and they had already spotted Delta Air Lines UA567: "Ground wind 280 degrees, 10 knots, runway 27R, cleared for landing, emergency units are in position."

Captain Ke Ao decisively disengaged the autopilot and took control himself. He slightly pulled back on the stick, causing the nose to rise slightly and maintaining a 3-degree glide slope. He reduced the throttle to idle and the speed gradually decreased to 140 knots.

The co-pilot, Ivan, began to continuously report the altitude: "500 feet 400-300 stable approach."

At that moment, the passengers in the cabin began to see the ground rapidly approaching through the portholes, gripping the handrails tightly.

Nancy, not forgetting her duty, shouted, "Heads down! Hold on tight! Hold the position!"

The moment the plane touched down, the fuselage jolted violently, and the landing gear made a screeching sound as it rubbed against the runway, but then it stabilized and stopped shaking.

Eric, his eyes fixed on the rapidly passing ground, let out a soft breath; it seemed his luck hadn't completely run out.

He loosened his grip on the armrest slightly, making a firm decision in his heart: "Damn it, I'm never flying again!"

This flight left him with a lingering sense of unease; the feeling of being powerless and resigned to fate was too frustrating, and he disliked that feeling.

Eric glanced at Bill subconsciously, and the guy's tense expression began to relax a little.

(End of this chapter)