Cracked Airplane Engine, Emergency Landing and Hurricane Marty

Cracked Airplane Engine
Emergency Landing
and
Hurricanes


Thursday, September 18, 2003

It started out like any day that you're leaving for Baja. Awake early, excited, and anxious to get going. What to do? We're not scheduled to meet our friend and pilot, Gene Sommers until 1:00 at the Torrance airport.

8:30 a.m. - My husband Mike goes and drops off the dog with Gramma Etta and Matthew and suitcases at the babysitter (Michael has already been dropped off at kindergarten). I pass the time doing mundane, everyday things around the house.

9:00 - First sign of trouble arrives. Mike calls from the babysitters house and informs me our company nextels aren't working. NOT GOOD. For this is the only way we have been communicating with Gene. I decide to call Gene to make sure we're still on schedule and to let him know he needs to call us at home should there be any changes. As I'm talking with Gene, he informs me that it looks like take-off time is now 2:30. His airplane has been in the shop now for more than 6 weeks for it's "annual" and they are still awaiting for Fed Ex to deliver the new throttle cable. Once installed, Gene must then do a test/flight check & have the work signed off on. (Excuse me here to all the pilots out there, my knowledge, lingo and procedures may not be written right!) "No problem" he tells me, "meet at 2:30." This bit of news makes me extremely nervous. #1 - I don't (and have never) liked the thought of going up in a plane that doesn't have some hours on it after ANY work is done, #2 - If I can deal with #1, will we make it in time? and #3 - What if the part doesn't arrive as promised? I now begin to pass the time pacing around my house with all these worries running around my head.

11:30 - Talked to Gene. The part has arrived and he's scheduled for his test flight at 1:30. Gene says "Be at the airport at 2:30 - we're goin' to Baja!"

2:30 - We arrive at the Torrance airport and call Gene on his cell phone. "20 more minutes", he informs us. He asks us to go into the Pilot Center and introduce ourselves to his other 2 passengers - Tom and Tom. Oh no. Panic again. As usual, I've brought too much stuff with me. What can I leave behind? I thought - worry about it later. We go and meet Tom and Tom and begin the process of getting acquainted while we wait for Gene. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking away and if we don't get in the air soon, we'll never make it to Gonzaga before sundown. Finally, we see Gene taxing towards us.

3:15 - We might make it after all! At this point, we just want to go, even if it's only to San Felipe for the night. While Gene files his flight plan, the four of us have that plane loaded in record time (and hey, all my stuff makes it in!) and we're ready to go.

3:35 - After one last potty stop, we're in the plane and taxing down to the end of the runway. Gene is confident that we'll make it to Gonzaga before sundown. Minutes later we're in the air and excited to finally be headed south.

Gene is a thoughtful pilot. He packs an ice chest with beer and wine for his passengers and let's them relax while he does all the work. Minutes into the flight, Mike and I enjoy a cold one and slip into that "vacation mode." Time passes uneventfully, and soon Gene informs his co-pilot, Tom, "20 minutes to San Felipe." This information is passed around the plane and the excitement level goes up a notch. As I'm dreaming of being that much closer to Gonzaga, I notice Tom thumping his fingers on the gauges....and at this same time, Gene grabs a map and turns the plane to a sharp left. My first thought was we must have been diverted to Mexicali for reasons unknown. I notice that Gene and Tom are desperately searching for a landing strip that they can see on the map, but not on the ground. Suddenly, the plane make this loud "noise" and starts to shake. At this point, we are directly over the mountains. I grab Mike's hand and ask him "Is the engine still running?" "Yes" he assures me. Random thoughts are flashing through my mind. I recall Mike telling me as he was going through flight school that planes like Gene's can glide if something happens to the engine. Right about now, we're "gliding" down and straight towards the highway. Mike yells at me "Put your head down!" I do so and as I try to recall what I was thinking, all I remember is I started to pray, cry and think of nothing but my children. To my surprise, I wasn't panicking (at least not outwardly). The next thing I know, Gene has put the plane down smoothly on the highway and coasts to a stop on a turnoff (how lucky was that?) off the highway. When the plane has come to a complete stop, Gene asks if everyone is o.k. As we're opening the doors of the plane to get out, a van pulls up and two gentlemen jump out. As I'm climbing out the plane, I mutter to them "Estoy nerviosa" and begin to shake uncontrollably.

To be continued....

Brandi!! i'm leaving for Guaymas in an hour...

Great!!!!! keep it coming

Hi Brandi, Great story and I'm glad you're here to tell it,k

OHMIGOD, Brandi......