Legendary Captain

Chapter 213 Another Disaster for Star Travel Aviation

Yunnan Airport Runway 21

"Star Trek 6321, ground wind 210/02, runway 21, cleared for takeoff!"

The co-pilot repeated, "Runway 21, cleared for takeoff, Star Trek 6321!"

The captain checked the takeoff configuration again, and after confirming that everything was correct, he stretched his slightly sore neck and said, "Configuration is fine, let's go!"

As he spoke, he began to increase engine thrust. When the engine thrust stabilized at 40%, the co-pilot shouted, "Stable!"

"Adjust takeoff thrust!" the captain continued, pressing the TO/GA button at the same time.

As the FMA display on the PFD began to change, the co-pilot immediately announced, "N1, TO/GA mode is available!"

These are all standard announcements. Flying is a highly procedural job, requiring not only knowing when to do what, but also when to say what.

The aircraft's thrust was automatically increased to the preset takeoff thrust by the throttle. Once the aircraft's thrust stabilized at the predetermined value, the co-pilot announced, "Takeoff thrust set!"

"examine!"

With the boost from the two massive thrusters, the aircraft began to accelerate, and as it crossed the 80-knot mark, the co-pilot's gaze sharpened: "Eighty!"

Just moments after the co-pilot finished speaking, the FMA display changed again, and the co-pilot shouted, "Maintain thrust!"

At this moment, the captain was still focusing most of his attention on the outside world, needing to keep the aircraft's takeoff roll direction aligned with the runway centerline. But even with only a small portion of his attention on the cockpit, he still noticed a problem.

The plane seems to be shaking quite a bit!

Sometimes, when the aircraft's nose wheel touches the runway centerline light, because the centerline light protrudes slightly from the runway surface, if the aircraft's nose wheel is exactly on the line of the runway centerline light, a continuous and regular turbulence will occur. This situation is most noticeable in the cockpit.

However, even if the plane's front wheel hits the runway centerline light, it shouldn't be this bumpy.

"Are there too few people? The plane is too light, we can't control it?" The captain was a little unsure.

I just saw on the manifest that there are only about fifty people on this flight, and the whole plane looks very light. When a plane is very light, it is actually difficult to operate.

For example, during takeoff and landing, the pilot can easily become overwhelmed. In strong winds or during the fifth approach maneuver, the aircraft sways like a leaf, making it difficult to stabilize.

The light weight of the aircraft also leads to a situation where, during taxiing, even slight unevenness in the ground causes the aircraft to bounce up and down as if it were equipped with springs. This aggravated turbulence becomes even more pronounced as the aircraft's taxiing speed increases.

Based on the number of passengers on the plane, the captain became suspicious.

"What?" the captain muttered quickly and softly. The co-pilot hadn't heard him clearly and instinctively asked.

The captain had only made a casual remark and didn't intend to delve into it further, nor was this the time to investigate, so he stopped the conversation by saying, "It's nothing!"

Since the captain had said that, the co-pilot didn't ask any further questions, but instead turned his attention back to the instruments.

This was just a minor incident. About ten knots before V1, the co-pilot was already preparing to announce V1, because the announcement of V1 needs to be made about three knots in advance, mainly to give the passenger reaction time. There were only about seven knots left before the announcement of V1, and at the current acceleration, we would reach it very soon.

Just as the plane was about to reach V1, a long, drawn-out warning sounded in the cockpit.

The passenger in the front seat tensed up abruptly, and his gaze shifted slightly to see two lights: an amber-colored "SPEEDBRAKES EXTENDED" and a red "TAKEOFF CONFIG." The moment these two lights illuminated, a chill ran down the passenger's spine.

"Takeoff mode warning!" The co-pilot shouted the warning almost instantly.

This is an audible warning for takeoff!

The captain's attention was mostly focused on the outside world. When he heard the co-pilot announce the takeoff status warning, he just grunted and reacted slightly. Outwardly, he only paused for a moment.

This brief moment of consideration, in the co-pilot's eyes, appeared as the captain hesitating. Under intense mental pressure, the co-pilot inexplicably had a thought.

"We continue" Although the aircraft speed has not yet reached V1, it has already exceeded 80 knots. According to the manual, takeoff can only be aborted between 80 knots and V1 speed in the event of a fire alarm, wind shear, engine failure, or a situation deemed by the captain as an inability to fly normally. Takeoff status warning is obviously not included in this category. Therefore, according to regulations, we should continue takeoff at this time and then decide whether to return to the airport for landing based on the situation.

The captain's reaction was relatively normal. After the co-pilot reported the malfunction, he reacted normally and came to the correct conclusion. However, before the captain could announce his decision, he felt another hand cover his right hand, which was holding the throttle, and then that hand pulled back sharply, completely reducing the throttle.

"Abort takeoff!" The volume of this shout to abort takeoff was deafening, carrying an unusually firm determination, leaving the captain beside him completely dumbfounded.

"What are you doing!" The captain's roar followed immediately, and you could almost hear the immense anger he was carrying just from his voice.

That's right, the decision to abort takeoff was made by the co-pilot, and the throttle was also released by the co-pilot!

The co-pilot, who thought he had made the right decision, was stunned by the captain's shout, and a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart. However, in this situation, the co-pilot's mind was completely blank, and he had no idea what he had done wrong.

Since the throttle had already been released, takeoff was no longer an option. The captain had no choice but to follow the co-pilot's interrupted instructions, disengaging the autothrottle, pulling up the speed brakes, and engaging the reverse thrust to abort takeoff.

"Captain, I think I made a mistake!" The co-pilot, having calmed down a bit, finally realized he'd overreacted and made the wrong decision. At 80 knots and V1, a takeoff status warning shouldn't have been aborted!

The co-pilot had barely recovered when the captain raised his right hand and slammed it hard into the back of his head. The force was so great that, had it not been for the seatbelt, the co-pilot's head would have hit the sun visor.

"Who makes the decision to abort takeoff? You son of a bitch! When did the co-pilot start making the decision to abort takeoff? After flying for years, what have you been doing?" It was clear that the captain was extremely angry; he had been completely led astray by the co-pilot.

This co-pilot is already a Level 4 co-pilot and has been flying for about three or four years, yet he still made such a basic mistake.

The decision to abort takeoff can only be made by the captain in charge, and must be executed by the pilot in the left seat. This first officer not only made the decision to abort takeoff for the captain, but also took matters into his own hands and reduced the engine throttle – a mistake so egregious it's utterly outrageous.

The abnormal deceleration of Star Travel 6321 also attracted the attention of the control tower. There were still planes about to land on the runway, but instead of taking off, the planes on the runway slowed down, which caused the problem.

"Star Travel 6334, minimum speed, there's a situation on the runway!" The control tower could only notify other aircraft on the fifth wing, instructing him to slow down as soon as possible and delay his landing time to give him time to deal with the situation on the runway.

Star Traveler 6334 on the fifth side saw that there was a problem on the runway. Today, the sky was cloudless and the visibility was excellent, so he could see the situation on the runway at a glance.

"Minimum speed received, Star Travel 6334!" This was the captain's reply. Then, the captain squinted at the runway for a while, muttering, "Interrupted?"

"It seems so, the plane has slowed down." The co-pilot also took a look and came to his own conclusion.

"Is this our company's logo?" When the control tower gave the takeoff instruction, the plane on the five-legged approach hadn't switched frequencies yet, so they didn't know which company's plane was on the runway. They could only make a rough judgment based on the paint and logo.

Sure enough, the control tower immediately started inquiring about the situation: "Star Travel 6321, what's going on? Was it interrupted?"

"Star Travel 6321, takeoff has been aborted. Shall we disengage at the nearest location?" This was the captain's reply from Star Travel 6321. The co-pilot was completely terrified. After calming down, he reflected on what he had done, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.

Upon hearing this, the crew members from the five airlines in the air immediately became excited, especially the captain, who seemed to thrive on chaos: "What exactly happened?"

"Star Travel 6321, you can disembark at the nearest available location. After disembarking, stay where you are and do not go onto the F-track, as it will have an impact."

There is currently an aircraft taxiing on taxiway F. If Star Travel 6321 continues taxiing after detaching, it will also need to taxi into taxiway F, which will block taxiway F and cause a traffic jam.

"Received. After disengaging, stop in place! Star Travel 6321!"

In the cockpit of Star Travel 6321, when the aircraft's speed had already decreased to below sixty knots, the captain retracted the reverse thrusters and speed brakes. He remained silent, creating an eerie atmosphere in the cockpit.

"Captain, I just saw the takeoff status warning go off." The co-pilot tried to explain.

The captain waved his hand, stopping the co-pilot: "I don't want to hear you. Didn't the speed brake extension light come on just now? So what? This crappy plane is so poorly made, there are tons of false takeoff warnings, what's the panic? Even if it was real, so what? Does that mean we can't take off? It's no use telling me, go back and tell the flight department and safety department."

The most frequent cause of false takeoff status warnings is poor contact in the speed brake latches. Perhaps the aircraft was turbulent earlier, causing poor contact on the speed brake side, which is why the speed brake extension light illuminated.

One of the monitoring items for takeoff status warning is the speed brake. When the speed brake extends and the light illuminates, the takeoff status warning will also light up.

To be honest, the 737 is a rather old model, and its design is quite rough, with all sorts of false warnings.

Even based on the captain's own experience, he encountered false takeoff status warnings and false cargo door opening warnings during takeoff alone.

After experiencing this many times, the captain becomes less flustered, but the co-pilot is different! In such situations, they tend to put pressure on themselves, leading to some basic mistakes.

Upon hearing the words from the Flight Department and the Safety Supervision Department, the co-pilot's face immediately turned ashen.

The plane quickly detached from the runway. During this time, the control tower routinely inquired about the aborted takeoff situation. However, the captain's answer caused the expressions of the five crew members from the same company in the air to change.

"The flight was aborted at a speed of approximately 120 knots. The reason for the abort was a takeoff status warning."

"Takeoff configuration warning? 120 knots?" The co-pilot of Star Trek 6334 frowned. "Is there a mistake?"

The captain, indeed baring his teeth, said, "It wasn't a mistake in what I said, it was a mistake in what I did. The abort was wrong, and now the company is going to start investigating again!"

The chairman's office at the headquarters of Wens Foodstuff Group.

Yang Ning was reporting on various matters concerning the group to Wen Yiren, while Wen Yiren, who was acting as chairman, was listening with a drowsy expression and showed no intention of diligently fulfilling his duties as acting chairman.

Yang Ning talked for a long time until her mouth was dry, but the only response she received was the faint snoring of Wen Yiren, which annoyed her quite a bit.

Compared to the conscientious and responsible Wen Jingshu, Wen Yiren, the eldest son of the Wen family, truly had no thought whatsoever about the family business. Wen Jingshu asked him to come and put on an act, and Wen Yiren really did just that.

Since entering the chairman's office, Wen Yiren has hardly done any real work. He leaves everything to Yang Ning, who is just a ruthless signing and stamping machine.

Although nothing major happened at the group during this period, and Yang Ning could handle it all by himself, he was still a little annoyed by Wen Yiren's lazy demeanor.

Wen Mingyuan and Wen Jingshu are both hardworking and diligent people, so why don't we see any of that in Wen Yiren? Are they really of the same blood?

"President Wen. President Wen?" Seeing Wen Yiren sleeping deeper and deeper, Yang Ning couldn't help but call out softly a few times.

Just as Wen Yiren was about to drift off to sleep, he suddenly jolted awake, looking around in a daze: "What's wrong? Are you... done talking?"

"I've finished speaking, Mr. Wen. Did you hear me clearly?"

Wen Yiren wiped his face: "What did you hear? These are all minor matters, just handle them as you see fit."

Even though Yang Ning understood Wen Yiren's temperament, he was helpless and could only ask, "Xingyou called to confirm something. They received an email from the chairman's office to the Xingyou planning department, Mr. Wen."

"I posted it!" Wen Yiren admitted immediately.

Yang Ning advised, "President Wen, the chairman's email address shouldn't be used like that. In the future, just tell me about these small matters, and I'll take care of them for you."

Not long ago, Xingyou Aviation's planning department received an email from the group's headquarters. The planner who received the email was quite startled to see that the sender was the group's chairman.

The email content was quite simple: it limited Xu Xian's flight time to no more than fifty hours per month.

The group's chairman was many levels below a planner at Star Travel, and the planner even suspected that someone was playing a prank.

The planner, who was unsure of what to do, went directly to the head of the planning department. It turned out that the head of the department had never seen this situation before, so he simply called the chairman's secretary's office for verification.

When Yang Ning learned of this situation, to be honest, she didn't know either. Yang Ning was somewhat annoyed by Wen Yiren's presumptuous actions.

The chairman of the board represents the image of the entire group, and any private behavior should be handled with utmost care. How could Wen Yiren be so casual? Therefore, Yang Ning took the opportunity of this report to specifically bring up this matter.

"To be precise, Jing Shu asked me to do this," Wen Yiren said, shrugging. "The chairman's email is IP-locked, so emails can only be sent from this computer, which is why she had no choice but to send me."

Because the chairman's email account is of great importance, the group's technical department made some minor adjustments to restrict its use to the computer in the chairman's office. This is to prevent the account password from being leaked and potentially allowing malicious individuals to log in from other locations, causing irreparable problems.

Otherwise, Wen Jingshu wouldn't have needed to call Wen Yiren specifically to ask for his help.

The reason for sending the email was simple: Xu Xian's previous medical examination revealed a potential problem with coronary heart disease. Since prolonged sitting is not good for a pilot's condition, Wen Jingshu wanted to limit Xu Xian's flight time.

In fact, if she hadn't known that Xu Xian had some personal reasons for insisting on flying, she would have even hoped that Xu Xian would give up flying altogether.

"Did the young lady allow it?" Yang Ning was somewhat skeptical.

Wen Yiren picked up his phone: "Should we call Jing Shu to verify? To be honest, if Jing Shu hadn't asked me, why would I send an email to that obscure place like Xingyou? Just for fun?"

As he spoke, Wen Yiren stretched and said, "By the way, when is Jing Shu coming back? I'm so bored."

"I'm back now!" Speak of the devil! Wen Jingshu pushed open the door and waved to Wen Yiren, signaling him to make way.

Wen Yiren muttered a few words under his breath, but in the end he obediently gave up his seat and started swaying his waist next to it.

Wen Jingshu sat down in the chairperson's seat that was originally hers and said to Yang Ning, "I did ask my brother to send that email. This is a one-time thing, so let's just let it go."

Yang Ning nodded, no longer dwelling on it, and changed the subject: "Miss, you're not leaving this time you're back?"

Compared to the free-spirited Wen Yiren, Yang Ning preferred to assist Wen Jingshu. Actually, Wen Yiren beside him was already listening intently; he was also very concerned about whether Wen Jingshu would leave again. After all, if Wen Jingshu confirmed her return, he could finally escape this cage.

"no!"

Upon hearing Wen Jingshu's words, Yang Ning and Wen Yiren both let out a sigh.

"I'm back this time to oversee an investment project. Once that's done, I'll be going back to Yunnan."

Yang Ning was taken aback: "What investment project?"

"The investment project for Kunyang Airport!"

Yang Ning and Wen Yiren were both stunned, especially Yang Ning, whose face was filled with doubt: "Wasn't the construction of Kunyang Airport entirely funded by the government? How come there's an investment project? Wait! Kunyang Airport has opened up to private investment?"

Wen Jingshu nodded: "That's right! Kunyang Airport will be the future hub for civil aviation in Southwest China, and it can't be delayed any longer. The Yunnan government is currently facing financial difficulties, so it is preparing to attract private investment."

Attracting private investment to domestic airports is nothing new, and given the slow construction progress of Kunyang Airport, opening up to civil aviation investment is indeed a possibility.

However, based on past cases of airports attracting private investment, all the capital parties that could enter airport construction projects had a civil aviation background. Capital like Wens Group, which did not have a strong civil aviation background, was not very popular.

Although Wens Group has Chimelong Airlines, Star Airlines, and some small, specialized flight companies under its umbrella, its main business is not civil aviation, so its advantages are actually very small.

"Miss, if I may be frank, even if what you're saying is true, I feel the chances of our group winning this project are extremely slim, compared to the past."

Wen Jingshu raised her hand, interrupting Yang Ning: "Aunt Ning, I know what you're going to say. It's true that our group isn't purely a civil aviation company, which is a major disadvantage. However, we have a big shot helping us this time, so securing this project shouldn't be a problem."

"A big shot?" Yang Ning racked his brains but couldn't think of anyone who was on good terms with the group and could have such power to help secure such a huge project.

As a future hub for Southwest Airlines, Kunyang Airport requires massive investment, but also promises substantial profits. Furthermore, the group has a professional construction company, Shenggong Construction, which can directly undertake this project. With a specialized team handling specialized tasks, cost control becomes much easier.

If Wens Foodstuff Group can secure this project, the profits alone could sustain them for several years.

Yang Ning was surprised, but it was Wen Yiren, who usually didn't get involved, who thought of it.

"Could it be Xu Qing?" Wen Yiren asked.

"Exactly!" Wen Jingshu said with a smile, "He will act as our advocate. With him involved, the chances of the trip going ahead are very high."

"Then Qingyuan Group won't get involved? This is a huge pie." Yang Ning still didn't believe it: "They don't have any conditions?"

Even for the largest conglomerates, investing in Kunyang Airport is a lucrative opportunity, and there's no reason they wouldn't take it. The only possibility is that Xu Qing attached some additional conditions.

Speaking of this, Wen Jingshu thought of the money Xu Qing had mentioned about wedding gifts, and her pretty face blushed slightly: "There isn't any for now. You should have your staff prepare an investment plan for Kunyang Airport first."

Wen Yiren stood next to Wen Jingshu, taking in the blush on her face, and said with displeasure, "No, we're discussing the Kunyang Airport investment project, why are you blushing?"

"Huh?" Wen Jingshu was startled and covered her face with her hands, feeling her cheeks getting even hotter.

Wen Yiren immediately felt helpless: "My silly sister, you didn't agree to something strange, did you?"

"No way!" Wen Jingshu snorted. "Don't talk nonsense! Aunt Ning, you've been working hard these past few days, following up on this case. This might be the biggest investment our group has made in recent years, so we have to be extremely careful."

"But..." Yang Ning hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed: "Okay, I'll show you the draft when it's out."

"Okay, Aunt Ning, you go ahead and do your work. I want to talk to my brother."

"Okay!" Yang Ning nodded, glanced at Wen Yiren who looked nonchalant, and then went out.

After Yang Ning left, Wen Jingshu turned to Wen Yiren and said, "Brother, don't you believe Xu Qing would give our group such a big gift?"

"Believe it? Why don't you believe it?" Wen Yiren twisted his waist and pouted.

Wen Jingshu originally just wanted to tease her brother and casually bring up the issue of gift money, but Wen Yiren's answer was different from what she expected.

"How so?" Wen Jingshu asked, her curiosity piqued.

Wen Yiren said, "Because Qingyuan Group has invested most of its funds in that new aircraft, if it invests in Kunyang Airport, their financial situation will be very unhealthy. Don't be fooled by the fact that those big companies and groups seem to have endless money; once their financial chains break down, it can be fatal. Big companies and groups also mean a wide range of business, which increases the probability of accidents. If they happen to run into financial problems, it can be fatal. Back then, Xu's Tianyu Construction put our Shenggong Construction under immense pressure, but wasn't it because a project they were contracting went wrong, ultimately triggering a chain reaction that led to bankruptcy? So, Xu Qing isn't really that generous; it's just that Qingyuan Group doesn't have that much of an appetite and is afraid of overspending."

"Then why didn't he give it to someone else?" In fact, Wen Jingshu had thought of this before. Although Qingyuan Group could not support the two major projects of the new aircraft and Kunyang Airport, it was indeed a great gift for Xu Qing to give the Kunyang Airport project to Wen's.

Wen Yiren said somewhat helplessly, "Just tell me the reason why Xu Xian is doing this, why beat around the bush?"

Wen Jingshu smiled and said, "Xu Qing said that the Kunyang Airport project was the money he gave me as a wedding gift to Xu Xian and me." In front of Wen Yiren, Wen Jingshu really held nothing back.

"A wedding gift?" Wen Yiren gasped. "That's quite a generous gesture!"

Even if Qingyuan Group couldn't acquire the Kunyang Airport project, it could still use it as leverage to exchange for significant benefits with other investors. However, Xu Qing didn't do that; instead, he directly gifted it to Wen Jingshu, a move that truly astonished Wen Yiren.

He truly is a leading figure in the civil aviation industry; his demeanor is simply extraordinary.

Amid Wen Yiren's exclamation of surprise, Wen Jingshu's smile deepened. She tugged at Wen Yiren's sleeve: "Brother, what do you think of Xu Xian as your brother-in-law?"

Wen Yiren raised an eyebrow. This was the first time Wen Jingshu had formally asked him for his opinion on Xu Xian since they separated.

"It seems you've already started planning your future with Xu Xian?" Wen Yiren smiled. "Isn't that a bit too early?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Wen Yiren took out his phone, pressed a few buttons, and then handed it to Wen Jingshu, saying, "You're the one who recruited Lian Shanxue, aren't you? You've brought in a rival for your own affections, my dear sister, you're something else."

Wen Jingshu took the phone, glanced at the contents of the screen, and her expression immediately turned gloomy.

Wen Yiren opened the news trending list, and the top three keywords were Lianshan Snow, Lianshan Snow and Xu Xian, as well as the Lianshan Snow Special Situation.

After clicking on the trending news about Lian Shanxue and Xu Xian, the most popular item was an audio recording. Wen Jingshu clicked on it and found that it was the cockpit recording of Lian Shanxue during the plane's depressurization.

This recording is just a snapshot, which happens to be the audio clip of Lian Shanxue unconsciously calling out to Xu Xian just before she takes off her oxygen mask.

The way she called out Xu Xian's name with such deep affection would make anyone who heard it think that there must be some kind of close relationship between Lian Shanxue and Xu Xian.

Wen Jingshu's smile had vanished. She returned her phone and sat silently in her chair, lost in thought.

"I originally thought you only thought of Xu Xian because of your first love, but now it seems that quite a few people have their eyes on Xu Xian!" Wen Yiren said with a smile.

That's right, Xu Xian was Wen Jingshu's first love; otherwise, he wouldn't hold such a special place in her heart. First love is always beautiful, which is why Wen Jingshu unconsciously added a halo to Xu Xian.

In Wen Yiren's eyes, Xu Xian was alright, but definitely not good enough to make his sister devoted to him. However, it seems that Xu Xian really has some talent now; at least this girl named Lian Shanxue is quite interested in him.

Wen Yiren still had some impression of Lian Shanxue. At the press conference following the forced landing on the Kunyang River, Lian Shanxue had spoken up for Xu Xian. Not only was she exceptionally beautiful, but her courage was also impressive.

Such an outstanding girl is also in love with Xu Xian, which shows that Xu Xian is indeed exceptional.

Office of the General Manager of the Flight Department, Xingyou Aviation.

Lin Bo and his assistant whispered to each other, "What did you say? There was a problem with the takeoff abort? 120 knots, the takeoff status warning was aborted?"

"Yes!" the assistant said.

"Really?"

The assistant understood that Lin Bo wasn't asking if the event was true or false, but rather if the takeoff warning was genuine. So he explained, "It's false! The airbrakes were bumped and made to malfunction, causing a false warning. But even if it were true, we can't stop it!"

"Of course I know!" Lin Bo snorted irritably. "Looks like reducing flight times next month is a done deal."

This abort was different from the previous decompression incident involving Lianshan Snow. This time, the abort of takeoff was very easy to investigate and determine. Based on the information he received from his assistant, Lin Bo had already guessed what would happen to the company.

Based on past experience, in this kind of situation, there's a 70-80% chance that flight times will be reduced, estimated at around 5%. But even 5% is still quite painful.

In another corner of the office, Li Chuan's expression kept changing as if by magic, while his assistant across from him looked equally confused.

"Is this really the prevailing opinion online?" Li Chuan still couldn't quite accept it.

The assistant clapped his hands: "Yes! Mr. Li, I'm not kidding you, the internet is full of praise for Lian Shanxue right now, they're practically praising her to the skies. They've called her 'national girl' and 'female role model,' and she has quite a few supporters. The top three trending news topics are all about Lian Shanxue. Li Chuan, you can see for yourself if you don't believe me."

Li Chuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, a result of his excitement.

"Isn't this great news? You were so flustered just now, saying something terrible had happened, which startled me!" Li Chuan said, dissatisfied.

The assistant looked aggrieved: "Mr. Li, this is so strange! How did it suddenly become so popular? I even suspect someone is pushing it!"

(End of this chapter)