Legendary Captain

Chapter 176 Just because they can't do it doesn't mean I can't! (Bonus chapter, please vote!)

"Do you think he handled this situation poorly?" Han Qi finally patiently checked the projected flight data, while still listening to the cockpit voice of Star Travel 6233.

When Han Qi heard Xu Xian directly announce that the captain was incapacitated and take over the plane, he couldn't help but be a little surprised by Xu Xian's audacity.

"He's really outspoken!" Han Qi shook his head. "With just this flight data and cockpit voice recordings, there are still some things we can't see clearly. I need a complete understanding of the whole incident. What if Xu Xian's handling of the situation was correct?"

"More than 130 people were injured this time, and more than 30 of them were seriously injured. It just so happened that Xu Xian chose an unconventional method of emergency landing. If there had been even the slightest problem with Xu Xian's choice of emergency landing, he would have faced endless criticism. This is probably not something a young man in his twenties can bear," Xu Qing said.

If this matter had been limited to an internal investigation, Xu Qing might not have been so worried. However, this time, the emergency landing in a city river, exposed to the public, changed the nature of the situation.

Public pressure could lead to excessive investigations by the authorities. Once the public gets involved, many issues become difficult to resolve.

Just like the February 2.19th incident that made Xu Qing famous. In that incident, Xu Qing also encountered a situation where both engines stalled. There was a small airport nearby at the time, and judging from the plane's altitude, it was barely possible to glide to that small airport.

However, the terrain of that small airport was too complicated, and Xu Qing felt that even if the plane could glide to that small airport, it might not be able to land.

Immediately, the speed was converted from altitude to speed in order to meet the speed requirements for wind-driven start-up, and the engine was finally restarted.

The February 2.19 incident actually involved the choice between maintaining altitude to glide to a complex airport for landing and losing altitude to replace the engine and restart, so as to fly to a more distant and easier-to-land airport.

This is a multiple-choice question. Sometimes pilots don't have time to carefully distinguish between what's better and worse, and can only rely entirely on intuition. While relying on intuition can sometimes be life-saving, it can also lead to many problems in the details. After all, relying entirely on intuition is, to put it bluntly, a lack of careful and sufficient weighing of options.

Fortunately, people weren't paying much attention to civil aviation at the time, and since no one was injured that time, not many people initially voiced their opinions.

Later, when the authorities made their ruling, no one questioned it anymore.

In situations where a difficult choice is necessary, the authorities, as professionals in the field, will fully consider the actual circumstances at the time. As long as the outcome of the special circumstances is acceptable, they will not dwell too much on minor details.

However, if the public gets involved, things could turn out differently. Some people who love a good spectacle, or some who pretend to know what they don't, might start attacking the crew relentlessly once they discover some minor mistakes, or even just what they perceive as mistakes. Then, more uninformed people get caught up in the fray, creating a powerful public outcry, which can easily influence the authorities.

What's even more serious is that more than 130 people were injured this time. The incident was already very serious, and the hospitals in Yulong District were overflowing. The fact that the emergency landing occurred in the city center meant that the social impact was too great, and it was almost foreseeable that a large number of people would participate in the discussion.

So, this raises a question: Was Xu Xian's handling of the situation perfect, without a single flaw?

"Do you think there's a problem with how Xu Xian handled things?" Han Qi asked with a serious expression. He had clearly also figured out the situation Xu Xian was facing.

Xu Xian will now face intense scrutiny from both official and public eyes, and any minor issues will be magnified without limit. Rationally speaking, even the so-called perfect examples of emergency handling in civil aviation history have minor flaws, but these minor issues do not diminish their greatness.

However, this matter seems to be trending towards being overly harsh, which is not good news.

"There are two important questions now! Was Xu Xian's choice of emergency landing location the optimal solution? Were Dianyun Airport and Kunyang Airport really unsuitable for landing? And was it reasonable for Xu Xian to seize the captain's authority?" Xu Qing pointed out the two fatal flaws of Xu Xian in this incident.

"Xu Xian argues that it's difficult for an aircraft to maintain the optimal glide ratio consistently, especially when there's an obstacle in the glide path. If the optimal glide ratio cannot be maintained for an extended period, the aircraft cannot clear the obstacle. Xu Xian believes that the inability of the engine's turbofan blades to rotate freely creates more drag, making it impossible for the aircraft to maintain the optimal 11:1 glide ratio," Xu Qing said. "However, it seems there's a flaw in this premise! I don't know where Xu Xian's conclusion comes from. But from my understanding, it seems that blade rotation would actually increase drag due to the existence of negative power. Of course, perhaps I'm just ignorant, so I'll assume Xu Xian's idea is correct for now."

According to Xu Xian's theory, the resistance encountered by engine turbofan blades is definitely greater than the resistance encountered when the blades rotate freely, but there is no accurate conclusion yet on how much greater it is or whether it will have a substantial impact.

"Is it in accordance with the standard requirements for Xu Xian to unilaterally declare the captain incapacitated and take over the captain's power?" To be honest, it is highly taboo in the industry for the co-pilot to unilaterally declare the captain incapacitated in order to seize the captain's power.

If this behavior becomes the norm, it will greatly undermine the captain's authority.

To be honest, based on the information Xu Qing has gathered, Xu Xian's actions in this incident seem overly forceful.

At least when the captain did not show any definite physiological incapacity, is it too arbitrary to directly declare the captain unable to perform his duties and thus judge him as incapacitated simply because of a difference in judgment of the situation?

What if the captain feels that the inability of the engine turbofan blades to rotate freely has little impact, and he can maintain the optimal glide ratio?

Ultimately, Xu Xian had his reasons for believing that the aircraft could not maintain the optimal glide ratio, but these reasons were not supported by clear data. Therefore, Xu Xian's conclusion that Dianyun Airport could not be landed seemed open to discussion.

If Xu Xian cannot provide a sufficiently convincing reason for his actions, it will deal a devastating blow to the power structure of the cockpit. The reason a captain is a captain is that he is responsible for the entire aircraft. However, if a co-pilot can unilaterally declare the captain incapacitated and forcibly take over the captain's authority, then what is the point of the captain's authority?

In this incident, if the captain had suffered obvious physical impairment, such as falling into a coma or other similar physical damage that affected his ability to work, it wouldn't have been a big deal for Xu Xian to forcibly take over the captain's authority.

In this incident, the captain had no obvious injuries until landing, and was physically capable of fulfilling his duties as captain.

Meanwhile, the captain did not exhibit any behavior that could be interpreted as indicative of a mental disorder. Perhaps the only problematic aspect of the captain's actions was that, after Xu Xian indicated that landing at Dianyungang Airport was impossible, he insisted on landing there without providing a reason.

Xu Xian was unable to persuade the captain because of this, and thus concluded that the captain had lost the ability to make correct judgments.

So, the question boils down to one point: Will the plane actually land at Yunnan Airport, or more precisely, what are the chances of it landing there? Is Xu Xian's claim valid?

"Can the simulator simulate the condition of the turbofan blades at that time?" Han Qi asked. The authorities would definitely conduct simulations during their investigation.

Xu Qing shook his head: "The current simulator can only simulate situations where the turbofan blades are completely stuck or rotating freely. As for situations in between, we can't simulate them yet. I've already contacted Xiangyu and Boeing headquarters to see if we can write a new program."

"If...if the simulator results are unfavorable to Xu Xian, then a disaster will befall him. At that time, I hope you can lend him a hand." Xu Qing's face was solemn. Even Xu Qing felt a heavy weight on his shoulders regarding this matter.

Xu Xian certainly had his reasons, but whether those reasons could withstand scrutiny is a big question.

If the simulation results afterward indicate that the plane could have landed at Yunnan Airport, then Xu Xian would not only be held responsible for his misjudgment, but the story of him forcibly seizing the captain's authority would also take a different turn.

Han Qi paused for a moment: "You think you can't handle this alone?"

"This matter involves too many people, I don't have the confidence," Xu Qing said. "Of course, if you feel it's not worth risking your reputation to cover for Xu Xian, I won't force you. After all, Kunlong Airlines is counting on your reputation to survive! If you ruin your reputation like this, how will Kunlong Airlines survive in the future?"

Han Qi sneered: "You don't need to provoke me. Aren't you the same? Isn't Qingyuan Group also supported by your reputation?"

"It's different! Qingyuan Group might not be as prosperous as it is now without me, but it's more than capable of maintaining its business. However, without you, Kunlong Airlines is like a bird with broken wings; whether it can survive for three years is uncertain. Han Qi, don't you think so?" Xu Qing said with a smile.

Han Qi's eyes grew colder, and he was extremely displeased, but he couldn't find a reason to refute it.

Qingyuan Group certainly doesn't have another star as dazzling as Xu Qing, but it still has quite a few second-rate talents. With them, even if they don't strive for greatness, they can still maintain the foundation of Qingyuan Group.

In comparison, the bunch of useless cowards at Kunlong Airlines who only knew how to bully others under his protection were far inferior. If it weren't for the fact that the current boss of Kunlong Airlines had done him a favor, he would have left long ago.

"Since you know that Kunlong Aviation can't do without me, why are you still making me take risks?" Han Qi snorted.

Xu Qing slowly stood up: "Han Qi, don't you want to protect Kunlong Aviation for another twenty years?"

Han Qi narrowed his eyes slightly: "What do you mean? No, wait! You think Xu Xian can take over our position? You think so highly of him?"

Xu Qing's meaning was clear: Han Qi would retire in a few years. At that time, as Han Qi's influence diminished, Kunlong Airlines would no longer enjoy its various privileges. And when that time came, Kunlong Airlines would inevitably decline.

Even if Han Qi chooses to protect himself for the sake of Kunlong Airlines today, it will only delay Kunlong Airlines' fate by a few years.

But if Han Qi were willing to protect Xu Xian when he was in the most danger, Xu Xian would surely be eternally grateful. And when Xu Xian grows up, he might very well be able to protect the Kunlong for another twenty years!

However, the question is whether Xu Xian can grow to that level, whether he has the potential, and whether he has the value that Han Qi is willing to risk his reputation to protect.

Han Qi was indeed very optimistic about Xu Xian's future, but he was unsure whether Xu Xian could reach the same level as Xu Qing and himself.

"At least he has the potential!" Xu Qingyi shrugged. "Want to come with me?"

Han Qi snorted and turned to leave: "Aren't you also doing this for the sake of your family's prosperity for generations to come?"

Han Qi could tell that Xu Qing had invested a lot in Xu Xian. He simply couldn't believe that Xu Qing's feelings were purely out of admiration; that level of understanding was truly beyond that of ordinary people.

Just as Han Qi was about to leave the meeting room, Xu Qing called out one last time, "Are you coming or not?"

Han Qi didn't stop walking and went straight out of the conference room.

Xu Qing looked at the empty conference room and sighed softly.

Just then, a voice came from outside the door: "Just look for me when the time comes!"

"This guy!" Xu Qing's worry instantly turned to joy. Then, after thinking for a moment, Xu Qing called his assistant and instructed, "Arrange a plane for me; I want to go to Yunnan!"

A rest room at Yulong District Hospital.

At this moment, Huang Ying and Wen Jingshu had already arrived at the lounge to meet with Xu Xian and the others after receiving Xu Jingyang's call.

"Oh right! Where's Lian Shanxue?" Xu Xian had been dragged here by Xu Jingyang and Qin Zongyang and forgot to explain the situation to Lian Shanxue, who had gone out to fetch water. What would happen if Lian Shanxue came back and found that he was gone?

"Lian Shanxue? That little girl? I almost forgot about her." Xu Jingyang scratched his forehead. He had been so busy running that he had completely forgotten about Lian Shanxue.

"I'll talk to her," Xu Xian said, preparing to call Lian Shanxue. However, just as he took out his phone, Wen Jingshu snatched it away.

"Reporters are looking for you everywhere right now, so it's better if fewer people know about your situation. I'll talk to her about it in a bit, so you don't need to worry about it anymore." Wen Jingshu didn't really trust Lian Shanxue, so she didn't want Lian Shanxue to get too involved.

Qin Zongyang glanced at Wen Jingshu: "Chairman, what are you doing here? You two didn't get back together, did you?"

The word "complex" was used very cleverly, making both Xu Xian and Wen Jingshu blush deeply.

"Master, let's get down to business. What's the deal with those reporters?" Xu Xian quickly changed the subject.

Speaking of the reporters, Qin Zongyang was very unhappy: "Wasn't this all caused by the injured people's families? Now all thirty-odd seriously injured people have been sent to the First People's Hospital. The injured people's families gathered together and kept demanding compensation from our company. At the same time, in front of the reporters, they said that the crew was not skilled enough, and that they could have landed on the runway at Dianyun Airport, but they insisted on landing in the Kunyang River, resulting in so many injuries. We strongly demand that the authorities severely punish the crew and give them justice."

Airlines usually provide appropriate compensation in the event of emergencies resulting in injuries or fatalities, so the injured party's family's demand for compensation is not unreasonable. As for the second point, demanding that the authorities severely punish the crew, that's something Xu Xian cannot accept.

The reporters who were originally gathered at the First People's Hospital heard the injured person's family strongly demanding that the crew be severely punished, and after hearing that you were still there, they all rushed over here. If I hadn't been at the First People's Hospital as a representative of the Flight Department to offer my condolences, I wouldn't have known about this situation, and I wouldn't have had time to inform you later.

"Why didn't you make a phone call? Why did you have to come in person?" Xu Xian said.

Qin Zongyang rolled his eyes: "I did call, but your phone kept saying it was off."

"My phone isn't off! Jing Shu, check if you have any missed calls?"

Wen Jingshu obediently glanced at her phone: "No!"

"Hey Xu Xian, how long are you going to keep this crappy phone? It's just a waste of time! If I hadn't come here in person, you'd be surrounded by those cannibalistic reporters right now! The internet is full of questions about the crew. If those reporters caught you, wouldn't they have made a fool of you?" Qin Zongyang said excitedly.

Many reporters are adept at taking things out of context and making leading statements. If Xu Xian, who has no experience, were to be questioned by them and managed to turn black into white, it would be extremely dangerous.

"There's definitely a lot of malice going on online towards the crew right now, with quite a few even calling for accountability. You should keep a low profile these next few days! I'll call the branch office right away and bring you over right now," Wen Jingshu said. "At least until the bureau's investigation results are out, you shouldn't make any public statements."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" This was the first time Xu Xian had encountered something like this. Just looking at the scene, it was truly frightening.

"This is no exaggeration! Don't you know how terrifying cyberbullying is? Anyway, you should keep a low profile; it's never a bad thing." Wen Jingshu handed the phone back to Xu Xian.

Just then, Wen Jingshu's phone rang; it was Yang Ning calling.

"Miss, the police want to see Xu Xian!"

Wen Jingshu glanced at Xu Xian, whose head was still wrapped in bandages: "Now? So soon?"

"Yes, right now, the authorities are taking a very tough stance." Yang Ning said with some helplessness.

"Just say that Xu Xian is still unconscious and it's inconvenient for him to see anyone right now." Wen Jingshu still hoped that Xu Xian could rest and recuperate some more.

But Yang Ning replied, "Miss, the bureau officials said that regardless of whether Xu Xian is conscious or unconscious, they have to go and confirm it themselves!"

Finally, Yang Ning said with concern, "This time, the authorities aren't just in a hurry; they're genuinely in a rush. We'd better cooperate!"

Yang Ning knew about the relationship between Xu Xian and Wen Jingshu. From Wen Jingshu's perspective, she didn't want to conduct a high-intensity investigation before Xu Xian had fully recovered.

However, this time the situation is clearly different. At least Yang Ning is certain that the authorities must also be under immense pressure, otherwise they wouldn't be acting so forcefully and urgently.

Although it might displease Wen Jingshu, Yang Ning still suggested that Xu Xian be investigated. The seriousness of this matter was beyond imagination, and the entire group was powerless to intervene.

Wen Jingshu remained silent for a long time before saying, "I understand." Then she hung up the phone.

"Xu Xian!" Wen Jingshu sounded somewhat guilty. "The bureau wants to see you right now, is that alright?"

"Now?" Qin Zongyang asked incredulously, "Is the bureau really under that much pressure?"

There have been special cases of crew injuries before, and the authorities usually only conduct investigations after the injured crew members' conditions have stabilized, which is quite humanitarian.

However, it's highly unusual that the authorities were so eager to investigate Xu Xian just a few hours later. The only explanation is that the authorities were under pressure from various quarters and wanted a result as soon as possible.

"That's right! Their attitude is very firm; it seems we can't afford to delay any longer!" Wen Jingshu said apologetically, "Xu Xian, you might have to work hard."

Xu Xian's heart sank slightly; the atmosphere was visibly heavy. "It's alright, they need to investigate. Just cooperate. Should we wait for them here, or go to the company?"

"Let's go to the branch hospital! It's quieter there. It doesn't matter where we ask, the authorities shouldn't make things difficult for us."

Xu Xian had no objection: "Then I'll trouble you to make the arrangements."

After saying that, Xu Xian fell silent. It was clear that even Xu Xian, who had been so confident at the beginning, was now somewhat wavering. The main reason was that the reactions online and from the authorities were far too strong this time, and if he made any mistakes in handling the situation, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Xu Xian's silence clearly affected others as well; even Qin Zongyang, who was usually very talkative, obediently shut his mouth.

Seeing that Xu Xian didn't say anything more, Wen Jingshu sighed, turned around and went elsewhere to start arranging the bureau's investigation.

Kunyang River channel, the emergency landing site of Star Travel 6233!

The section of the river near where the plane made an emergency landing has been completely cordoned off, and the surrounding crowd has been dispersed. However, outside the cordon, many ordinary citizens and reporters are still taking pictures of the scene with various photographic equipment.

A small team from the bureau's investigation group has arrived at the scene. At this moment, the team leader is standing on the river embankment, having a clear view of the entire landing section of the river.

There are still marks left by airplanes braking on the concrete layer of the riverbed.

"What a madman!" the squad leader chuckled softly.

At this moment, the team members were collecting data at the aircraft's landing point.

There is a very obvious black mark at the aircraft's touchdown point. The right wheel directly crushed the concrete layer of the riverbed, but the touchdown point of the right wheel can still be determined by the density of the crushed concrete layer.

Above the river, there is a white line that divides the river into two; this is the central axis of the river.

One team member measured the distance from the left wheel to the centerline and casually reported, "2.8 meters!"

The other team member responsible for recording paused for a moment, then asked, "How much?"

"2.8 meters!" The measuring team member asked, puzzled, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"It really is 2.8 meters?" The team member in charge of recording still didn't believe it. He put down what he was doing, ran to the measuring area, and gasped when he saw the reading on the ruler: "It really is 2.8 meters!"

"Incredible!" The team member who made the record was utterly dumbfounded: "Absolutely perfect!"

Shocked, he shouted at the top of his lungs to the team leader on the riverbank, "Team leader, come quick!"

Renxin Hospital VIP ward.

The VIP ward was a suite, and at that moment, only Shen Yansi, the head of the bureau's investigation team, and a recorder were inside; no one else was there.

"I know this investigation has been a bit harsh, but we're under a lot of pressure, and I hope you can understand." Shen Yansi was quite polite, exchanging pleasantries with Xu Xian as soon as he came up.

Xu Xian quickly replied, "It's alright, it's alright, it's only right! When something happens, cooperating with the bureau's investigation is just the way to go, isn't it?"

"That's good!" Shen Yansi smiled. "This time, we'll just do a simple routine inquiry, it won't take too long, and we'll try not to disturb your rest."

"Let's get straight to the point! What caused this incident?"

"Shortly after takeoff, when the aircraft was in good condition, it encountered a large flock of birds, and both engines subsequently failed."

Shen Yansi asked mostly very basic questions and did not ask Xu Xian to explain in detail, so it seemed to be a simple routine inquiry.

Xu Xian was a little nervous at first, but seeing that Shen Yansi didn't make things too difficult and the questions were relatively normal, he gradually relaxed.

"I heard the cockpit voices. You ruled out both airports as options for emergency landings due to the additional drag from the turbofan blades not being able to rotate freely and the flooding at Kunyang Airport. Did you consider whether your reasons were sufficient?" Shen Yansi suddenly asked, his face still bearing a faint smile, just as he had asked those simple questions before.

Here it comes! Xu Xian's heart tightened; this was the real key issue.

"Are you saying that the additional drag from the turbofan blades and the flooding of the airport surface are substantial enough to affect the choice of emergency landing site?" Xu Xian asked rhetorically.

Shen Yansi laughed heartily: "So you knew! That makes things easier! The extra drag from the turbofan blades and the flooding of the airport surface will certainly have an impact, but are they enough to rule out those two airports? You thought those two reasons were sufficient at the time. But I didn't really think so!"

"There's something you seem to have misunderstood. The windmill-like operation of an aircraft engine can't be compared to the drag-type windmill principle. On the contrary, when the blades rotate, the additional negative thrust generated increases drag. In other words, if the aircraft were in a completely windmill-like state, the drag would be even greater!" Shen Yansi laughed, "It seems you've got it wrong from the start!"

"What?" Xu Xian was incredulous; he never expected that he had been wrong.

Seeing Xu Xian's worried expression, Shen Yansi didn't seem to care: "Windmill drag is directly proportional to speed and inversely proportional to altitude. Although your actual altitude was relatively low, considering the airport's altitude was already quite high, it was still considered high compared to a forced landing on a plain. Plus, the speed was very low, so windmill drag didn't have a significant impact. The deviation in glide ratio should be within a fraction of a tenth. On the contrary, the headwind and high altitude conditions had a greater impact on the aircraft's gliding and takeoff performance. Don't be too nervous; ultimately, we'll have to see the simulator results."

Shen Yansi's meaning was simple: if the simulation results matched Xu Xian's ideas, then this small error was tolerable. But if they didn't match, then this misjudgment would be fatal.

Xu Xian understood the implication of Shen Yansi's words, and his initial confidence wavered. He realized he wasn't a god; he couldn't possibly be perfect in every aspect and be completely error-free.

"There's one more thing! Although the soil at Kunyang Airport was soaked in water and hadn't undergone any special compaction, the soil layer at the airport did undergo preliminary compaction during the initial leveling phase. This should be common knowledge, right?" Shen Yansi asked.

Xu Xian nodded in agreement.

"That's good! Due to this initial compaction, the soil layer at Kunyang Airport cannot be simply classified as ordinary soil. The extent to which rainwater affects the soil layer, and whether it is completely impossible to land, remains to be discussed," Shen Yansi said with a smile.

Xu Xian's breathing hitched slightly; as expected, none of the officials from the bureau were easy to deal with. In just a few words, they had cornered Xu Xian, leaving him in a very passive position.

"Actually, you can't be completely sure if Kunyang Airport will be able to handle it, can you?" Shen Yansi pressed.

Xu Xian's expression also turned serious at this moment: "It's highly likely that we can't afford to miss it."

"High probability?" Shen Yansi's expression turned slightly cold. "It was also mentioned in the cockpit voice recording. You know that the span of the bridge piers over the Kunyang River is extremely close to the wingspan of the aircraft, right? The pilot's margin for maneuver is very small. Do you think the probability of you making an emergency landing on the Kunyang River is greater than making an emergency landing at Kunyang Airport?"

"This is different!" Xu Xian said in a low voice.

Shen Yansi was slightly surprised: "What's different?"

"That's right! Kunyang Airport has undergone initial soil compaction, so there's a certain chance it can still land even after the rain. However, no one has systematically recorded the timing and intensity of last night's rainfall, nor can anyone analyze the extent of the rain's impact on the soil at Kunyang Airport in a short time. Therefore, whether or not it can land at Kunyang Airport is a matter of luck, and has nothing to do with me; I can't control it. However, the emergency landing at Kunyang River is an operational issue, something I can control." Xu Xian's voice became increasingly firm: "I won't leave my life to luck; it can only be decided by myself!"

"I've never seen such an arrogant pilot before!" Shen Yansi's smile widened even more. "With a margin of more than half a meter, and without any navigation equipment, it seems impossible for a co-pilot to have absolute control over that margin, right? I doubt even the captain could!"

In Shen Yansi's view, Xu Xian's arrogance was completely unfounded. The span of a bridge pier differs from the wingspan of an airplane by more than half a meter—is that the level of precision a co-pilot could achieve?

However, Xu Xian retorted, "Just because they can't do it doesn't mean I can't!"

Shen Yansi shrugged: "So you still haven't considered the Kunyang River's load-bearing capacity. Otherwise, the landing gear wouldn't have crushed the riverbed at the touchdown point. The Kunyang River isn't a runway; whether it can withstand the aircraft's touchdown is also a matter of luck. In the end, it still comes down to luck, so what's the difference?"

"Of course!" Xu Xian said, "The concrete layer of the Kunyang River channel is still stronger than the soil layer of the Kunyang Airport."

"Don't you consider the operational difficulties of crossing the Kunyang River bridge piers?" Shen Yansi asked rhetorically.

The concrete layer of the Kunyang River channel is indeed stronger than the soil layer of Kunyang Airport, and it is certainly more likely to withstand the ground load of the aircraft. This is a conclusion that any ordinary person can draw.

However, an emergency landing on the Kunyang River required crossing the bridge piers, while landing at Kunyang Airport did not present this concern. Therefore, all things considered, Shen Yansi still felt that taking a gamble at Kunyang Airport had a higher probability of success.

However, Xu Xian's answer left Shen Yansi both amused and exasperated.

"Of course, that's out of the question," Xu Xian said matter-of-factly. "Crossing the Kunyang River bridge piers does require a higher level of skill, but I'm confident I can do it. Naturally, it can't be included in the risk assessment!"

"But in the end, you still crashed into the bridge pier!"

Xu Xian: "That's because the riverbed wasn't hardened enough, which is related to my operation. How should I put it, I guess I was just unlucky in the end."

"You mean, if there's no surface cracking at the grounding point, you can safely cross the Kunyang River bridge pier?"

Xu Xian laughed and said, "Of course!"

Shen Yansi's face immediately darkened: "Do you know? You are the most arrogant pilot I have ever seen, bar none! I don't believe you don't know just how difficult it is to maneuver the bridge across the Kunyang River piers."

Xu Xian nodded: "If telling the truth is considered arrogance, then I accept your statement!"

Shen Yansi revealed a hint of displeasure; he sensed that Xu Xian was just putting on a brave face. No pilot could claim 100% certainty of successfully navigating the Kunyang River bridge piers—the maneuverability was simply terrifying.

Just then, Shen Yansi's phone rang. He took it out and saw it was the number of a squad leader from one of the investigation teams.

Upon answering the phone, the other party said, "Team leader, there's something I need to tell you about regarding the aircraft's landing point!"

This is a long chapter to make up for my previous leave. Today is the last day of double monthly votes, so please vote with your monthly votes or give me some tips to support me. If I reach 1,000 monthly votes, I can add an extra chapter!

(End of this chapter)