Legendary Captain

Chapter 367 I am Xu Xian, and now I'm in charge of the plane!

Just as the captain realized something was wrong, the entire space outside the plane seemed to quiet down. The turbulence the plane was experiencing lessened considerably, as if, in an instant, they had truly passed through dangerous weather.

"No, no, something must have gone wrong." The sudden silence around him offered the captain no comfort whatsoever; on the contrary, this strange change only intensified his anxiety.

How could such a strong weather system suddenly change from violent turbulence to stability in such a short time? The change was too abrupt, making him uneasy.

However, the co-pilot didn't think as much as the captain. His most direct observation was that the turbulence in the plane was rapidly decreasing, which was a good sign, at least from this perspective.

After a while, the co-pilot confirmed that the turbulence seemed to have truly subsided, and he couldn't help but ask the captain, "Dude, should we switch autopilot to CMD mode?"

CMD mode is the command mode set when using autonomous driving normally most of the time.

From the passenger's perspective, they were now out of the severely bumpy area, so there was no need to use CWS mode anymore. The only thing that still worried the passenger was the persistent electrical arcs on the windshield, which showed no signs of abating. He couldn't understand how so much electrical charge could accumulate in the air.

However, judging from the degree of turbulence, they seem to have left the weather zone. As they gradually move away from this large area of ​​weather, the electrical charge accumulated in the surrounding air should continue to decrease, and the electric arc on the windshield should theoretically disappear by then.

As the co-pilot spoke, his left hand was already pointing to the MCP panel. As long as the captain nodded, he would switch to autopilot mode.

"Wait!" The captain grabbed the co-pilot's hand. "Don't move! I have a feeling we're in big trouble!"

"What?" The passenger was taken aback. "Bro, we're already out, aren't we? That's what the weather radar shows. The bumps have lessened, what could possibly happen? Bro, are you overthinking this?"

Actually, the passenger was going to say, "Don't scare me," but then changed his approach.

"We're experiencing such heavy rain, why isn't it showing up on the weather radar at all? And the turbulence is weakening way too quickly, it shouldn't be this fast." The captain's heart was pounding. He turned to the co-pilot and suddenly asked, "Have you ever heard that the winds are actually weakest in the eye of a typhoon?"

The co-pilot's face turned deathly pale: "Brother, you mean we've accidentally entered the typhoon's eye? How could that be? We follow the weather radar to stay within the path; this shouldn't be the weakest point. How could we possibly be in the typhoon's eye?"

The co-pilot exclaimed "How is that possible?" twice, revealing the extent of his shock. To be honest, he didn't know about the claim that the winds were weakest in the eye of a typhoon, but if what the captain said was true, it seemed to fit the current situation even better.

The situation currently encountered by Lotoo Flight 5641 is that, apart from a slight decrease in turbulence, other conditions, such as the rain and windshield arcing, show no signs of abating. If they have truly moved away from dangerous weather, why has only the turbulence decreased while other conditions show no signs of abating, and even seem to be intensifying?

If what the captain said is true, then everything can be mitigated. They haven't actually left the typhoon area; the rain and the electric arcs on the windshield haven't changed at all. However, because they are in the eye of the typhoon, the wind force has actually decreased, thus reducing the turbulence.

"This...this shouldn't be!" The co-pilot still didn't want to believe the captain's words, but he himself was also a little guilty, and his words didn't sound very assertive.

Just then, the air traffic control voice came through the radio: "Lotoo 5641, what's your current situation? Can you still continue flying?"

The co-pilot was about to speak, but the captain stopped him by raising his hand. The captain then asked air traffic control directly, "Can you see the weather conditions around us on your radar?"

The controller, with keen senses, detected something amiss: "What's wrong with Letu 5641?"

"I feel there's a discrepancy between our onboard weather radar display and the actual weather, so I'd like to ask you what the weather display on your radar screen is like," the captain finally couldn't hold back any longer. The aircraft's onboard weather radar and the area control's weather radar are two separate systems. Previously, air traffic control seemed to have indicated that his weather radar and the crew's weather radar were inconsistent, but at the time, the captain preferred to trust his onboard radar.

But now, the captain is genuinely starting to question the accuracy of his onboard radar.

The controller said in a deep voice, "According to my radar, the weather around your current location is very strong, extremely strong."

The captain's left hand, which was pressing the call button, trembled slightly. He exchanged a glance with the co-pilot, and both of them saw confusion and fear in each other's eyes.

"Could it be that the airborne radar is malfunctioning?" The captain's scalp began to tingle. Judging from the current situation, it seemed that the area control radar was the accurate one.

"No way," the co-pilot thought, a chill running down his spine. If their radar had malfunctioned, they could have easily strayed into a dangerous weather zone. This reminded him of when they applied for flight path 130; air traffic control had expressed doubts, but they had placed even more faith in their onboard radar and ignored their advice. So, was this situation entirely their own fault?

"Brother, should we turn back? Let's not fly any further." After confirming the weather conditions with air traffic control, it's highly likely that the aircraft's onboard radar is malfunctioning. Flying any further would be tantamount to playing with our lives.

"Turn back?" The captain was no longer trusting his weather radar, so he had to ask air traffic control for advice: "Huacheng Air Traffic Control, Letu 5641, do you think I should continue forward or turn back? Which one is faster?"

"This..." The captain's question stumped the area controller. The weather area was so vast that it covered almost the entire area he was responsible for, making it impossible to see the whole weather system. Because the boundaries of the weather area were unclear, the area controller didn't know which way the crew should fly to disengage as quickly as possible.

After some deliberation, the area controller could only provide the crew with the information he had: "Lotoo 5641, the weather coverage area is too large; my radar can't even see the entire area. However, the typhoon is developing rapidly, and the weather intensity in the area you just passed through has intensified. You should consider whether you can withstand even more severe and dangerous weather than when you passed through. As for flying forward or in another direction, I can't see the boundaries of the weather area and therefore can't give you specific travel distances. However, I can assure you that the weather in this large area is developing rapidly, and the situation is not good."

"Is it stronger than before?" The captain and first officer exchanged bewildered glances. When they passed by earlier, the plane was practically falling apart. If it's stronger now, it could really threaten the structural integrity of the aircraft.

If the area controller says that, isn't that blocking their way back?

The area control officer thought for a moment and continued, "How are you doing now? Can you hold on? I'll retrieve the main radar data; we should be able to see the outline of the entire weather area by then."

Inside the area control room is a main radar, which is the most powerful radar display in the entire area control room. On that radar, the weather detection range is larger, and it can be connected to data from the meteorological department, so the distribution of hazardous weather is clear at a glance.

However, this radar usually requires the permission of the control room director, and the area controller needs to apply to the duty director.

Of course, this depends on the situation. If the flight is already unable to withstand the weather, then it's an emergency, and special procedures are needed, which naturally leads to higher efficiency. However, this requires writing a report, which is more troublesome, and it's not normally done this way. If the crew feels the situation is still under control, then the controller will follow the normal procedures, which will take a little longer, but not by much.

Once the specific weather conditions of the entire area are understood, it will be easier to guide the flight crew in making detours.

Both air traffic controllers and flight crews are suffering from incomplete information. They're blinded by a single leaf, unable to see the whole mountain. If they rashly attempt a detour based on intuition without complete information, it could very well lead to a major disaster. In a weather system of this scale, a single misjudgment in detour decisions can put the entire aircraft in an extremely dangerous situation.

"Okay! Help me figure out the weather situation in the whole area first. I can hold on for a little longer!" the captain said. They had already made one wrong decision regarding the weather, and they couldn't afford to make another mistake, or things could easily go wrong.

Fortunately, the turbulence isn't too strong right now, so we can hold on for a bit.

Just as the captain was communicating with air traffic control, the co-pilot on the right suddenly noticed some faint water stains in the lower right corner of the right windshield.

These water stains did not accumulate on the outside, but seeped into the inside, and there were obvious signs of dampness at the junction of the sun visor and the windshield.

"It's seeping in?" The passenger stared in disbelief at the corner of the windshield. He slowly reached out a finger to touch the damp area to see if he was mistaken or if there was a genuine problem with the seal in the corner of the windshield.

The co-pilot had just raised his right hand when the captain noticed his unusual behavior and immediately shouted, "What are you doing?"

At this moment, the captain's nerves were on edge, and any unusual behavior would elicit a more intense reaction from him than usual.

The co-pilot was startled by the captain's abrupt shout. He pointed nervously to the lower right corner of the right windshield and said with suspicion, "Brother, it looks like there's a leak here."

"Leaking? Impossible!" The captain dismissed the co-pilot's claim without hesitation. The windshield's seal was impeccable; how could it possibly leak? Even if the plane were thrown into the sea, the leak would occur elsewhere, never from the windshield. However, his words had barely left his lips when his gaze naturally followed the co-pilot's finger, and his face froze: "This...this is a water stain?"

The captain also saw the damp spot that the co-pilot had just noticed, and he understood why the co-pilot had raised his right hand as if to reach towards the windshield.

At the lower right corner of the right windshield, where it meets the frame and sun visor, some water is already visible, indicating that it is no longer just a matter of dampness.

"Brother, am I seeing things? It really is leaking!" The co-pilot, seeing the captain's horrified expression, knew the captain was having the same bad feeling as him. At least judging from the captain's reaction, he wasn't seeing things; there was water accumulating in the corner of the windshield.

If it truly seeped in from the outside, rather than being formed by internal moisture condensation, then there's a big problem.

As he spoke, the co-pilot reached out to touch the puddle, but the captain shouted to stop him: "Don't touch it! There are heating elements in the windshield; you might get an electric shock if you touch it."

To maintain the resilience of the left and right windshields, the aircraft heats these two sections, with heating wires sandwiched between the three layers of the windshield. Because of these conductors, when encountering significant accumulation of external electrical charges, dense electric arcs are generated on the windshield.

If the rainwater is indeed seeping into the cockpit due to a problem with the windshield's seal, then this water might be connected to the heating wires inside the windshield. Touching them could pose a risk of electric shock.

Upon hearing the risk of electric shock, the co-pilot quickly withdrew his hand in fright, while the captain instinctively looked up to check if the windshield heater was overheating and if there was a problem with the pressurization.

If the windshield's seal is compromised and rainwater soaks the heating elements inside, there is a chance of a short circuit. If a short circuit occurs, the temperature of the heating elements will rise rapidly and uncontrollably, causing the windshield to overheat.

Overheating of the windshield isn't the worst part. What's truly terrifying is that localized high temperatures can significantly reduce the overall integrity of the windshield. The expansion of the windshield due to localized overheating can easily cause it to shatter suddenly. In any situation, a windshield shattering is undoubtedly a disaster, let alone when the aircraft is caught in a typhoon. Outside, it's pouring rain, and at this altitude, the temperature is already below -20 degrees Celsius; the rain is freezing. If the windshield shatters, the torrent of rainwater could instantly freeze the two people in the cockpit into ice sculptures.

Besides the structural problems with the windshield, the loss of its seal also affected pressurization. However, after looking at the pressurization panel for a while, the captain seemed to think that the aircraft's pressurization was not affected.

Even if there is a problem with the windshield's seal, the leak might be too small to cause a pressurization issue.

However, while the structural and sealing issues of the windshield may seem like two separate problems, they ultimately boil down to one. If the windshield's structural strength fails and it shatters, what's the point of discussing sealing or pressurization with such a large hole?

"Brother, should we turn off the windshield heater?" The passenger also realized that a short circuit could cause the windshield to shatter. To avoid this, the easiest way was to turn off the windshield heater. Without power to the heating element in the windshield, there would be no short circuit.

The captain understood this perfectly well; he knew exactly why the co-pilot wanted to turn off the windshield heater. However, one lingering concern prevented him from actually doing so.

Just then, as the captain hesitated, the previously pitch-black outside world, illuminated only by the periodically flashing strobe lights, suddenly burst into a burst of light. A bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens, plunging directly into the low-lying sky, leaving a bright crack in the dark canvas, as if the sky itself had been split in two.

"lightning!"

The lightning was almost right in front of the plane; it seemed that if the plane had gotten any closer, it would have been struck by the electric snake. Then, because the speed of sound lags behind the speed of light, the two people in the cockpit could only hear the rumbling thunder shortly after the lightning was observed.

I usually hear thunder from the ground, but today is the first time I've received the sounds of heaven and earth so closely in the sky. It really feels like the Thunder God is beating a thunder drum right next to my ear, almost piercing my eardrums.

As soon as the lightning struck, the electrical charge in the surrounding area surged wildly again at an alarming rate. As if summoned, the arc of electricity on the windshield almost covered the entire glass. At the same time, the color of the arc, which was originally bright yellow, gradually turned blue, like a ghostly fire, giving people an unsettling feeling that danger was imminent.

Upon seeing this, the passenger's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly said, "Brother, turn off the windshield and turn on the heater!"

The captain hesitated for a moment. The electrical arc was now turning from yellow to blue; if it turned from blue to red, the situation would be extremely dangerous. If the windshield shattered, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Theoretically, the impact of turning off the windshield heater is not significant. However, below 10,000 feet, the speed needs to be limited to 250 knots; above 10,000 feet, no special operation is required.

It's precisely because turning off the windshield heater doesn't pose a significant danger—conversely, leaving it on could lead to a short circuit and potentially catastrophic consequences—that anyone could easily decide the better option. The passenger in the front seat was weighing the pros and cons with the mindset of a normal person.

Under normal circumstances, it would be correct for the co-pilot to request that the windshield heater be turned off. However, the captain hesitated because the aircraft was not currently in an environment that could be considered "normal."

"Brother, what are you hesitating for!" The co-pilot was extremely anxious, constantly glancing at his windshield, terrified it might suddenly shatter. He couldn't understand why the captain was still hesitating in this situation. Could turning off the windshield heater cause something even more serious than the windshield shattering?

The purpose of windshield heating is to improve the toughness of the windshield; otherwise, unheated windshields are somewhat brittle. This is why speeds are limited to 250 knots below 10,000 feet – to prevent unheated windshields from colliding with birds at low altitudes!

Unheated windshields are more brittle. If an aircraft is flying at high speed and a bird strikes the windshield, there is a slight possibility that the windshield will shatter. Therefore, at low altitudes (10,000 feet) without windshield heating, the aircraft speed should be limited to 250 knots.

But now they are already at an altitude of over 30,000 feet. What kind of bird can fly above 30,000 feet? Since there is no need to worry about the danger of bird strikes, what is there to worry about when the windshield is heated?

Unable to contain himself any longer, the co-pilot said urgently, "Brother, at this altitude, are we really worried about bird strikes? Let's not wait any longer, or something terrible will happen."

Even though the co-pilot was almost frantic at this point, he still followed the cockpit's hierarchical command rules and had to get the captain's approval for any decisions, especially in this emergency.

The captain was also annoyed by the co-pilot's urgent urging, and the co-pilot's suggestion was not unreasonable. He wondered if he was overthinking things.

"That hurdle."

The captain had barely uttered the word "shut down" when the co-pilot's hand was almost touching the windshield heater switch. A muffled thud was heard, and fine cracks instantly spread across the right windshield. The source of the cracks was a hailstone nearly half the size of a fist.

The captain was so frightened he could barely breathe. When he finally came to his senses, his mouth was trembling: "No, you can't turn it off! Damn it!"

What you fear most is what happens! He was worried about encountering hail during the typhoon. What if he turned off the windshield heater and hail hit the windshield?

The typhoon carried a large number of cumulonimbus clouds, which, in theory, should have meant there was a high probability of hail. The captain's concerns were justified. However, for a while, the captain didn't see any hail, so he took a chance and was about to agree to the co-pilot's suggestion to turn off the windshield heater. But just then, a hailstone struck. If the co-pilot had been quick enough to turn off the windshield heater...

An unheated windshield would never have withstood the impact of that hailstone; it would have shattered instantly, and they would have been doomed. Fortunately, he hesitated for a moment and left the windshield heater on. The windshield, with its remarkable resilience, managed to withstand the impact of the hailstone.

Actually, it was unnecessary for the captain to tell the co-pilot not to turn off the windshield heater. At that moment, the co-pilot was almost paralyzed with fear, his mind completely blank.

The right windshield is now shattered, but it looks like only the outermost layer is broken; thankfully, the inner two layers of windshield glass are undamaged.

Theoretically speaking, if only the outermost layer of windshield glass breaks, it shouldn't affect the safety of the windshield, as the two inner layers of windshield glass are sufficient.

However, the visual impact of having the outermost windshield smashed is quite shocking, and even for the captain, it touches the deepest fear in his heart.

Indeed, theoretically, two windshields are sufficient, but who can guarantee that the middle windshield is completely undamaged? If the middle windshield also has cracks, but they are covered up by the fine cracks in the outer windshield, wouldn't that be a time bomb that could explode at any moment?

Boeing did not say that having only one layer of windshield glass would guarantee absolute safety.

Moreover, and most importantly, no one can guarantee that more hailstones won't hit the windshield. If there's one hailstone, how far away can a second and a third be?

Sure enough, after the hail shattered the right outer windshield, the captain and first officer heard a series of muffled thuds. These were clearly the sounds of hail hitting the fuselage.

Under such circumstances, the captain was already under immense pressure and immediately contacted area control: "Huacheng Control, Letu 5641, we have encountered hail. The outer layer of the right-side No. 1 windshield is severely damaged. Request immediate assistance with a crossing plan."

The captain couldn't wait for air traffic controllers to slowly go through the procedures to request main radar data; he needed to inform them of the aircraft's current status. They might have been able to hold on a little longer before, but now they couldn't hold on for another second. The captain's only thought now was how to get out of this deadly place as quickly as possible.

"What did you say? Hailstorm hit, outer windshield shattered?" The controller realized the seriousness of the situation. He had just gotten up and noticed the director wasn't at the control tower, perhaps he'd gone to the restroom or something. He was thinking of calling the director for instructions, but the situation was extremely critical, and he couldn't worry about that now. He didn't care whether the director allowed it or not, and rushed to the control tower to retrieve the main radar data.

At this moment, the director's assistant, who was guarding near the command post, quickly stepped forward to stop him: "What are you doing? You don't have permission to come here."

Some information in the main radar data is classified and cannot be viewed by ordinary controllers. That's why it's necessary to report to the director and get his approval.

However, given the current special circumstances, the controller couldn't worry about much else. He quickly explained to his assistant, "A Lotoo Airlines plane in my area of ​​responsibility is in danger. I need to find a way for them to get out of the hazardous weather area as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, in the cockpit, the captain, having reported his situation, was already struggling to cope with the pressure. The dull thuds of hail hitting the fuselage felt like hammer blows to his heart; his heart was truly about to give out.

The captain hesitated for a moment, but still called the cabin crew. The chief flight attendant answered the phone.

"Flight attendant, please let Xu Xian in right away, hurry up!" the captain said urgently.

The flight attendant was taken aback: "Captain, is there a problem?"

"Never mind the problem, get Xu Xian into the cockpit immediately, it's urgent, hurry!"

At that moment, the co-pilot in the right seat next to him remembered that Xu Xian was on the plane. However, he then remembered that Xu Xian's commercial operating license had been suspended; strictly speaking, Xu Xian couldn't even be considered a civil aviation pilot anymore. Would allowing such an "unrelated person" into the cockpit lead to any consequences?

The co-pilot was extremely worried and was about to speak to the captain when the captain, seeing the look in his eyes, cut him off: "You're about to lose your life, why are you still sticking to those rigid rules?"

The co-pilot was speechless after being refuted by the captain, but he himself felt that having Xu Xian come in to help was the best option at this moment.

In first class, Xu Xian looked at the gloomy-faced flight attendant and, recalling the strange events that had just occurred, narrowed his eyes: "Something happened?"

Even though the flight attendant had a feeling about it, she didn't admit it. She simply said, "The captain wants you to come in. He said it's an emergency."

"An urgent matter?" For the captain to describe it as urgent, it must be something serious. Xu Xian didn't hesitate any longer and immediately stood up: "Let's go!"

Shortly after Xu Xian left, a passenger in the row next to him pressed the call button, and a flight attendant quickly came to assist him. Any airline provides extremely attentive service in first class.

Looking at the front cabin crew compartment, whose curtains had already been drawn back, the middle-aged first-class passenger asked the flight attendant directly, "Has something happened up ahead?"

The flight attendant's expression stiffened slightly: "Sir, everything is normal on our plane. You're overthinking it."

The man's eyes flickered, and he reached into his inner breast pocket, but ultimately gave up. He knew the flight attendant's explanation was just an official line, and that further questioning would only yield the same result. Finally, he sighed and said, "If there's any emergency and we need manpower, I might be able to help."

He then added, "I'm a pilot."

At that moment, in the cabin crew compartment separated by a curtain, Xu Xian was already waiting outside the cockpit door, while the chief flight attendant was making contact with the cockpit: "Captain, Xu Xian is right outside the door."

In the cockpit, the anxious captain, who had been waiting, checked the monitor and, after confirming everything was alright, released the cockpit door safety lock. Hearing the cockpit door latch open, Xu Xian yanked open the door and stepped inside.

While Xu Xian was opening the cockpit door, the flight attendant glanced into the cockpit and his expression changed drastically in an instant.

Upon entering the cockpit, Xu Xian immediately noticed the dense cracks on the right-hand windshield. However, Xu Xian was a man who had weathered many storms; problems that could push the captain and co-pilot to the brink of collapse were nothing to him, and he didn't even flinch.

"Hail?" Xu Xian noticed the hailstone in the center of the crack that hadn't melted yet. As he continued speaking, Xu Xian's gaze moved down and finally landed on the weather radar display on the navigation page.

Seeing Xu Xian's unwavering composure, the captain seemed to be influenced and his emotions calmed down a bit. After organizing his thoughts, he said, "Brother Xu, it seems we've worn the wrong weather gear."

Xu Xian sneered, "Of course you're dressed in the wrong clothes. Walking into the radar's shadow is practically suicide!"

"Radar shadow?" Upon hearing this, the captain's face stiffened for a moment, then he seemed to have a sudden realization and immediately narrowed the detection range of the weather radar to eighty nautical miles. As a result, a small yellow arc suddenly appeared on the outer edge of that strange so-called "safe zone".

"Radar shadow, it really is radar shadow, I..." The captain felt breathless when he saw the yellow arc and didn't know what to say. He was really going to his death!

Seeing the captain's distraught appearance, Xu Xian sneered disdainfully: "As a captain, you don't even know how to use weather radar? You don't even know that radar has blind spots? Humph!"

As he spoke, Xu Xian pointed directly to the passenger seat on the right: "Get up!"

The co-pilot on the right had no reason to disobey Xu Xian's imposing manner. He first glanced at the captain, and seeing that the captain did not object, he obediently got up and gave Xu Xian his seat.

By this time, the controller had pulled up the weather map for the entire southern region, finally giving him a glimpse of the overall weather situation. However, when he discovered just how vast the affected area was, he couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

There was no time to marvel at the extent of the typhoon's impact; with the help of the main radar, he quickly found the fastest route for the Lotto aircraft to traverse the area.

"Loto 5641, turn right now at track 200 to get out of this weather area in the shortest way." The controller, having found an escape route, immediately informed the Loto crew of the plan.

In the cockpit, Xu Xian received the intelligence from air traffic control. He glanced at the weather radar a few times, then frowned slightly. The captain, noticing the change, cautiously asked, "I just asked air traffic control to find the fastest way out. Is there a problem?"

In the captain's eyes, Xu Xian was an absolute authority in the aviation world. However, judging from Xu Xian's reaction when he heard the air traffic control's proposed flight plan, it seemed that the plan was not to his liking.

To everyone's surprise, Xu Xian directly refused air traffic control: "We can't fly track 200; we'll maintain our track for now!"

Upon hearing this, the captain, co-pilot, and air traffic controller on the other end of the radio changed their expressions drastically, while the controller who had been painstakingly trying to find a way to get through the area suddenly became somewhat annoyed.

I went to great lengths to help you, but you didn't listen at all. What does that mean? Keeping your course—are you trying to hasten your demise?

Suddenly, the air traffic controller in Huacheng realized something and exclaimed, "Who are you? Are you the crew of Letu 5641?"

He had spoken so much with the Letu flight crew, his voice was still recognizable. The voice of the person who had refused him earlier was clearly not that of the Letu flight crew who had spoken to him.

Actually, the controller's words were quite inappropriate and impolite. However, the area control officer in Huacheng seemed rather out of control. Who wouldn't be angry when their good intentions were met with such ingratitude?

But the reply he received was a completely emotionless statement: "I am Xu Xian, and I'm in charge of the plane now!"

Starting from the 29th of this month, there will be a monthly ticket event every night from 8 PM to 12 AM. I'll write a side story then, which might be a preview of the beginning of my next book. Those of you who have cast enough monthly tickets can read the side story.

(End of this chapter)