Stained River Read Free

compressor speed had died. The engine pressure ratio registered zero. The left engine exhaust temperature climbed since there were no turbines left to turn , while heat energy exhausted through the nozzle that propels the engine. Despite that, the housing held intact. For that, he was thankful. Had it shattered, pieces of metal could have torn open the fuselage or damaged the rudder.
    He acted quickly to control the vibrating craft and cut fuel to the left engine. The first officer re acted immediately. Flames, briefly visible on the left side, were extinguished. Simultaneously, thrust to the right engine increased. The fire went out and the plane responded remarkably well considering that half its power was lost.
    “Never had that happen.” The captain said to his first officer.
    “Brasilia ATC. This is Global Air- Flight 302-Alpha, Charlie four zero seven, seven, one, X-ray. Do you read?
    “Go ahead, Global Air.”
    “We have an emergency- request instructions to land. We need the closest runway that can take something this size. We are heavy. Repeat, we are heavy. I need to dump fuel.”
    “We have you, Global. One minute, please.”
    He was uneasy, yet knew he could fly with only one engine. Years of reliability statistical analysis confirmed double engine failure during flight as highly improbable. They would make it, but he had 225 frightened, angry passengers to pacify. For the second time within an hour, he turned on the intercom. The first announcement was merely one of those travel aggravations; a weather problem at Brasilia, flight diversion, delayed arrival. This one had far more serious implications that would test all his skills. He made the announcement in a composed voice, choosing his words carefully and downplaying the severity.
    “Well… this flight hasn’t been among our best. What happened back there was a mechanical problem with the left engine. If you are on that side, you noticed a small amount of flame and smoke. I've shut it down, but we’re quite capable of flying safely with only one engine until we reach the nearest airport. Once I receive clearance, we'll be landing at an alternate site, and you'll be assigned another flight. I apologize again for the inconvenience.”
    The passengers were nervous. He hoped his measured words calmed them. Mechanical problem? ‘ It was a goddamned engine failure, not a mere mechanical problem. Wasn’t this plane just checked out?’ He expressed his feelings succinctly to the only person within earshot, his first officer. Indeed, the passengers had calmed when the flames were extinguished, and the plane continued in flight. It almost appeared as if nothing was amiss. Despite a brief adjustment to maintain altitude, pitch and control, the captain, with many hours of flight simulator training, adapted quickly. But there was something else. He changed course with the diversion to Sao Paulo. That was a while back. He was flying over the deep Amazon. What was available in the vicinity that could take a plane that size? Impatiently, he awaited the response from air traffic control
    “C’mon. C’mon. You’re taking forever!”
    “Global 302 you are cleared for emergency landing on runway 27 at Porto Velho. You have priority. Turn to a heading of…”
    This time he barked at the traffic controller to make sure he fully understood the urgency of the situation.
    “ATC this is Global 302. Porto Velho is too far! Get something closer!”
    The words and tone were completely out of character, but he was a seasoned pilot who communicated effectively. In an emergency, no one would misunderstand his situation or intended actions. Not the air traffic controller, not the people at Global Air, and certainly not the head flight attendant he now summoned to the flight deck for a briefing. They were past the worst. More could have gone wrong, but didn’t. Maybe they were lucky. He just needed instructions on where to proceed and what to do about excess