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So what happens when you’re sitting peacefully in a plane, flying somewhere over the Amazon rainforest, and you suddenly find out that your plane has been hit? Just ask Joe Sharky, columnist for the New York Times.
With the window shade drawn, I was relaxing in my leather seat aboard a $25 million corporate jet that was flying 37,000 feet above the vast Amazon rainforest. The 7 of us on board the 13-passenger jet were keeping to ourselves.
Without warning, I felt a terrific jolt and heard a loud bang, followed by an eerie silence, save for the hum of the engines.
And then the three words I will never forget. “We’ve been hit,” said Henry Yandle, a fellow passenger standing in the aisle near the cockpit of the Embraer Legacy 600 jet. [link]
Well, don’t worry. He survived. As did everyone else on that plane. But others were not so lucky.
I would be told time and again in the next few days that nobody ever survives a midair collision. I was lucky to be alive — and only later would I learn that the 155 people aboard the Boeing 737 on a domestic flight that seems to have clipped us were not. [link]
That’s some story. I’m just glad I don’t have to fly anytime soon…
Picture Source: Associated Press
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5 responses so far ↓
1 J // Oct 4, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Flying out to the east coast next week. I think I am a jinx. Everytime I am ready to fly anywhere there is some plane related incident in the news. I figure that plane incidents are so rare, and when one happens right before I have to fly, makes the probabilty of me being in an accident/incident very small.. Watch they’ll “randomly” select me at every layover this time…..
2 The Great Ganesha // Oct 5, 2006 at 5:35 pm
you said it. as for me, i’m just glad i don’t have to fly too much these days. it’s bad enough the plane might crash. but what i hate is being treated like cattle, trapped like sardines in a tin, and then on top of all that, they don’t even let you take water into the flight these days…
*sigh* perhaps a rant for another post…
3 The Simple Leaf // Oct 6, 2006 at 6:49 am
It appears the pilots of that executive jet are now under investigation by Brazilian authorities. Their passports have been seized, so they cant leave the country, but they are “cooperating fully with the investigation”.
As far as water is concerned, the rules have been relaxed a bit, at least for domestic flights.
“Liquids, gels and/or aerosols are now permitted through security checkpoints. Items must fit in one clear, re-sealable quart or liter-sized plastic bag, in containers of 3oz/90ml or less. Examples include: shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste, hair gel, hair spray, liquid cosmetics and other items of similar consistency.”
But don’t even think about taking your 6 oz bottle of water with you – you’re only allowed 3!!
4 The Great Ganesha // Oct 6, 2006 at 9:21 am
that’s what i’m talking about, man. if you’re on a really long flight (like the coast-to-coast ones that i used to take), how the hell are you supposed to survive on 3 oz. of water?
but at least you’re now allowed toothpaste. so after eating that stinky kathi roll with raw onions on my redeye, at least i’ll be able to brush my teeth after that…
5 The Simple Leaf // Oct 6, 2006 at 10:02 am
You know, airlines these days still offer water as a perk to passengers. And amazingly, it’s still free, although the day when they start charging you 5 bucks for a cup of water if you’re in coach is probably not far off. Yes, they might give you the evil eye if you actually dare to request a glass, because after all, they’re there for your safety, not to serve you…
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