Brandi
Junior Nomad
Posts: 30
Registered: 8-29-2003
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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....
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Bajabus
Senior Nomad
Posts: 892
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: My friends..it's good.
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great story.....keep it coming!!!
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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You got me on my toes, Brandi... More, more!!!
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Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
Posts: 566
Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
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I have a cousin who died on a famous plane crash in the Florida Everglades in the 70s. Her sister, my other cousin, met her at the airport and told
her she couldn't go with her cause she had a hot date, missing the same fate by a hair.
I was once on a little ten seater prop from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido. It was such a rough flight, my friends and I joked haltingly all the way
through it about things like getting our last rights. We wound up taking the bus back and finding out a week later that the plane had crashed and
killed everyone on it. Knowing your time has not come sure is a gooooood feeling. - Stephanie
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
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Mood: Sling time!
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Brandi!! i'm leaving for Guaymas in an hour...
not the kind of stuff i wanted to read this a.m.!!
glad you're ok - was that the 206 incident reported on the BBP last week??
thot you were in a mix master??
can't wait for..."the rest of the story"
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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Keri
Super Nomad
Posts: 1393
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: La Mision, Baja Norte
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy contento
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Great!!!!! keep it coming
Hi Brandi, Great story and I'm glad you're here to tell it,k
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jeans
Super Nomad
Posts: 1059
Registered: 9-16-2002
Member Is Offline
Mood: Encantada
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OHMIGOD, Brandi......
The only way I could read that was knowing that you had written it, therefore you were all right. And I'm SO GLAD you were able to write that!
That touched on the little grain of fear that we all experience ever time we get on a plane. Even those of us who fly a lot. We counter it with
statistics that flying is safer than driving, but then, what if......?
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