She was simply another passenger in seat 14A, reading quietly. No one knew who she was. Then both engines failed over the mountains. There were 185 persons who were going to perish. She walked into the cockpit and helped land the plane. F-22 fighter jets flew around them and stated her call sign, Viper.
The Boeing 777 was flying over the Rocky Mountains at 37,000 feet when things started to go awry.
There were 185 people on board Flight 831 from Seattle to Dallas, along with 12 crew members. It was a normal Thursday afternoon flight, the kind that happens thousands of times every day across America. Passengers were reading, sleeping, or watching movies. The flight attendants were handing out refreshments.
There
She was in her late 20s and was wearing pants and a navy blue pullover. She had a ponytail in her blonde hair. She appeared like any other traveler, maybe a college student or a young professional on a business trip. There was nothing about how she looked that made her seem remarkable.
Kate had been flying commercial for the past six hours, connecting through Seattle on her way home to Texas. She was fatigued but satisfied.
She had a wonderful week hiking in Washington state on her first vacation in two years. She only wanted to go home, visit her family, and sleep in her bed. What none of the passengers or staff understood was that Kate Morrison was actually Captain Kate «Viper» Morrison, one of the Air Force’s most skilled fighter pilots.
She had flown F-16s and F-22 Raptors in war zones, clocked more than 3,000 flight hours, and won many honors for bravery and expertise. Everyone in the military aviation community knew that her call sign, Viper, belonged to one of the best pilots of her time. But today she was on leave, wearing regular clothes, and trying to blend in with the other passengers.
She
Kate was very into her book when she felt the plane shake a little. It wasn’t usual turbulence. Her trained instincts quickly identified something strange in the vibration. She looked up, alert but not scared, thinking it was probably just a rough piece of air.
The plane settled, and she started reading again.
Five minutes later, it occurred once more, but with greater force. The plane shook, and there was a loud blast from somewhere in the back. Passengers gasped. Someone yelled.
The seatbelt indicator went off, and the captain’s voice came over the intercom. He tried to sound cool, but there was a hint of anxiety in his voice.
«Ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing some technical difficulties. Please go back to your seats and buckle up. Flight attendants, get in your seats right away.”
Kate put her book down and buckled her seatbelt. Her mind was already working on what she had felt. That bang wasn’t a bump on the road. That was mechanical. Something aboard the plane had broken.
She looked out the window and noticed smoke coming from the left engine. Her stomach got tight.
The engine broke down. That was terrible, but it could be handled if the pilots were good and the second engine held up. Then the plane started dropping. It was not the leisurely drop of a normal landing approach; this descent was steep, nose down, and losing altitude swiftly. People on the plane were yelling now.
Oxygen masks plummeted from the ceiling. People in the cabin were scared and panicked. People were crying, praying, and calling their loved ones.
Kate grabbed her breathing mask and placed it on, her military background keeping her cool while others panicked. She listened to the sounds of the plane, felt how steeply it was going down, and looked at the situation with the calmness of someone who had been through death and lived. They were in a lot of danger.
The pilots were trying to keep the plane under control, but something was badly wrong. The captain’s voice came back on, no longer trying to mask the terror. “This is the captain.” We have lost both engines. I say it again, both engines are dead. We are declaring an emergency. Be ready for the hit. Flight attendants, prepare the cabin for emergency landing.»
All of the engines. Kate’s blood ran cold. A failure of both engines was a disaster. The plane was just a glider without engines, and a 777 was a very heavy glider that didn’t glide well. They were flying over mountains where there weren’t many good places to land. The pilots would be looking everywhere for a place to land the plane. The visibility was not good. Really terrible.
Around her, passengers were hysterical. The man next to her was so scared that he couldn’t move. He was holding on to the armrests so tightly that his knuckles became white. The woman sitting across the aisle was crying so hard she couldn’t stop. Flight attendants were yelling directions about how to brace yourself, but many passengers were too scared to listen. Kate made up her mind.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up, not caring about how steep the plane was. She held on to the backs of the seats to keep her balance and walked to the front, going against the tilt of the plane as it went down. A flight attendant tried to stop her.
“Ma’am, you need to sit down right away.”
Kate stared her in the eye. «I need to talk to the pilots. Currently. I might be able to help because I’m a military pilot.
People listened to her because her voice had the tone of command.
The flight attendant paused only a second, then nodded. She picked up the intercom phone and talked to the cockpit. The door to the cockpit opened ten seconds later. Kate moved forward swiftly.
Inside the cockpit was anarchy. Both pilots were working very hard, trying every technique, switching switches, pushing buttons, and trying to restart engines that wouldn’t respond.
The instruments showed a worst-case scenario. No push. The altitude is decreasing quickly. There are mountains ahead. The captain, a gray-haired veteran named Mike Sullivan, looked up as Kate entered. “Who are you? You need to get back to your seat.»
Kate spoke fast and plainly. “Captain, I’m Kate Morrison, an Air Force captain and F-22 pilot with 3,000 flight hours, including emergency procedures and deadstick landings.” I know how to deal with emergencies and how aircraft systems work. “Tell me what’s going on, and I might be able to help.”
Captain Sullivan glanced at her for one second, then made a choice. They were going to crash no matter what. What did he have to lose?
He said, “Both engines failed at the same time.” “We’ve done everything.” They won’t start again. We’re a glider now, and we’re going down rapidly. We only have about three minutes to land this bird, and all we can see below us are mountains.
Kate leaned between the seats and scanned the instruments. She quickly assessed the height, speed, rate of fall, fuel flow, and hydraulics. Her brain took in everything in a matter of seconds.
“What caused both engines to fail?”
The first officer answered without glancing up from his controls. “We don’t know.” It happened almost instantaneously. We suspect that either contaminated fuel or a malfunction in the fuel system interrupted the flow to both engines.
Kate thought swiftly. “Have you tried feeding from the extra tanks?” If the main system is dirty, there might be clean gasoline there occasionally.
Captain Sullivan glanced at her with amazement. “We haven’t done it yet. Tom, change the fuel system. Try the AUX tanks.»
The first officer’s hands flew over the controls, changing valves and sending fuel to different places. Time went by quickly. The counter for altitude kept going down. 8,000 feet. 7,000. 6,000.
The mountains were getting extremely close. «Come on, come on,» Kate urged, eyeing the engine instruments. Nothing.
The engines stayed off. They had tried her plan, but it didn’t work. The captain was frantically looking forward.
“There. That valley. It’s our only shot. It’s not flat, but it’s not as high as the mountains. I’m getting ready for an emergency landing.
Kate looked where he was pointing. It was a narrow valley in the mountains with a meadow. The ground was rocky and uneven, but it might have been long enough if they were lucky. It was their only option.
“That’s your best bet.” Would you like me to take care of anything while you fly? »
“Yes,” Radio. Tell air traffic Control about our position and circumstances. Then get on the emergency frequency and send out a mayday. If we don’t make this landing, at least rescuers will know where to look.»
Kate picked up the radio. Her voice was calm and clear, and it sounded like the short, professional tone used in military communications. “Mayday, mayday, mayday.” This is commercial flight 831, a Boeing 777 with two engines that have failed. It is trying to make an emergency landing in a mountain valley about 40 miles northwest of Denver. There were 197 people on board. Emergency teams, please respond to these coordinates.»
She read off their exact position from the GPS.
Right away, a voice came back. “Denver Center, this is Flight 831.” We duplicate your mayday. Emergency services are being dispatched. » What is your status?
«We are trying a deadstick landing in unsuitable terrain. The aircraft is 2,000 feet high and in the process of descending. Passengers are ready for the crash.
Then another person cut in on the emergency frequency. A different voice, military and cutting. Flight 831. This is Viper Lead, and there are two F-22 Raptors training in your region. We have visuals for your aircraft. Could you please share details about your current situation?
Kate’s heart jumped. Fighter planes. Her people.
“Viper Lead, this is Flight 831.” We have lost power in both engines and are trying to land safely. We are gliding down and will land in about a minute.
Captain Sullivan was having trouble controlling the plane while he attempted to align it with the valley. The plane was going down too quickly. The plane was either going to overrun the meadow or come in too steeply. Kate could see it.
She took hold of the captain’s shoulder. «You’re too high and too quick. You have to make the drag bigger. Full flaps, full spoilers, gear down. All you have to do is slow us down.
The captain nodded. «Tom, deploy everything.»
The first officer pushed buttons and pulled levers. Flaps are out. Spoilers went up on the wings. The landing gear fell down. As air resistance grew, the plane shook. The rate of fall sped up, but the rate of forward motion slowed down. It might be enough.
The voice of the F-22 pilot came back. “Flight 831. We are seeing you go down. Be careful; you are nearing mountainous terrain. Suggest right away—
He came to a stop. Everyone could tell that it was too late for suggestions. The landing was happening right now, no matter what.
Kate slid behind the captain’s seat and held on, but she kept her eyes on the ground as it got closer. The valley was coming up fast toward them. Rocky ground, trees here and there, and ground that isn’t level. The journey was going to be hard. Very harsh.
“Brace! Brace! Get ready! « Captain Sullivan yelled into the cabin intercom.
Kate gripped onto the back of his seat with both hands, her muscles strained for contact. The wheels hit first and slammed into the rocky ground with a lot of force. The landing gear took some of the impact but fell apart right away.
The belly of the plane scraped the ground, making a horrific sound as metal scratched against rock. The airplane rebounded, hit again, and went sideways. There were trees in front of the wing, and it hit them, sending debris flying everywhere.
The plane twisted around and kept moving forward, kicking up dirt and debris. Kate was pushed against the wall, and her shoulder smacked it hard. She felt pain all over her body, but she kept going. The cockpit was shaking a lot.
There was a lot of noise and confusion. The windscreen cracked. Alarms were blaring. The pilots were having trouble with the controls, but the plane wasn’t actually flying anymore; it was just crashing in slow motion.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was really 15 seconds, the airplane came to a stop. The awful shrieking sound ended. There was only silence and the sound of alarms for a moment.
Captain Sullivan’s hands were shaking as he held the controls. “Is everyone all right?”
Kate checked herself. Battered and bruised, but nothing is broken. «I’m okay.»
The first officer nodded. “I’m fine.”
After that, Captain Sullivan seemed to recall the people on board. He took the intercom. “Get out!” Get everyone off the plane right now! Use the exits for emergencies. Get away from the airplane! »
His voice was powerful yet raspy.
Kate straightened up, wincing at the agony in her shoulder, and opened the cockpit door. The cabin was a mess, but people were getting around. Flight attendants were shouting orders, activating emergency exits, and deploying slides.
Passengers were helping each other, moving toward the exits. People were alive and moving, which was wonderful. The crash landing was survivable.
Kate walked around the cabin, helping individuals, getting them up off the floor, and showing them where the exits were. She started to act like a soldier. Don’t worry. Be helpful. Finish the job.
An old woman was stuck in her seat because she was too terrified to move. Kate took her hand. «Ma’am, I’ve got you. We’re going to walk together. You’re going to be okay.
She showed the woman where to go to get out and helped her down the slide. Passengers were gathered outside, away from the wreckage. Some were crying, some were shocked, but they were all alive.
Kate did a rapid count. Everyone was leaving. Flight attendants were doing an impressive job of keeping track of passengers, managing minor injuries, and keeping everyone calm.
Then Kate heard it. The sound she knew better than most things. The noise of fighter aircraft engines.
She looked up and saw two F-22 Raptors flying low and slowly around the crash site, reviewing it. Her heart soared with pride and relief. Her people. Her fellow pilots.
They had followed them down and were now keeping an eye on them. One of the F-22s broke formation and flew low right over the disaster site.
Then the pilot’s voice came over the emergency frequency. It was loud enough for Kate’s radio, which was still fastened to her belt from the cockpit, to pick it up plainly. “Flight 831, this is Viper Lead.” We can see survivors. There were about 190 persons who got off the plane. It looks like everyone made it. Help is on the way. You have around five minutes before help arrives. Great flying down there. That was one hell of a landing.»
Kate took out the radio and turned on the mic. “Ground, this is Viper Lead.” Thanks for keeping an eye on things. We have everyone on board, including passengers and crew. We have minor injuries, but no critical casualties. Please tell the emergency services that we need a ride for about 197 persons.
There was a break. Then the F-22 pilot’s voice came back, puzzled. “Ground, who is this?” Are you in the military? »
Kate smiled a little even though she was in pain and worn out. “Viper Lead, this is Captain Kate Morrison from the Air Force. I am qualified to fly the F-22. I was a passenger on this flight, but I helped out in the cockpit during the emergency.
There was another break that lasted longer than expected. Then the pilot of the F-22 spoke again, and this time his voice was clearly shocked. “Say that again? Did you say Kate Morrison? Viper’s call sign? »
“Yes, Viper Lead. That’s me.»
«Viper, this is Captain Jake Wilson. We’ve met at Nellis. Two years ago, you taught my weapons school class. I can’t believe you’re down there. Are you hurt? »
“Negative, Viper Lead.” I’m bruised, but I’m still able to operate. Good to hear your voice, Jake. Thanks for coming with us.
The second F-22 pilot cut in, his voice full of admiration and awe. “Ma’am, this is Viper 2.” Did you help land that aircraft? »
assisted the commercial pilots. Yes, they did the hard work. I only helped with procedures and radio work.»
The Viper Lead came back. And Viper, we’re going to tell everyone about this. You rescued 185 people today. That will be written down in history.
They had heard the radio exchange. Sullivan stared at her with fresh understanding and respect.
