Airport Page #11

is just this side of the tail.

Better set down

as fast as we can, if we can.

Right.

Toronto Centre, Global Two.

Have structural damage.

Would like to land

nearest available airport.

Global Two, Toronto Centre.

Everything east of Lincoln

on your course is closed

due to weather or field conditions.

However, if you are declaring

an emergency, Detroit possible.

They report five inches of snow

over ice but they will try to clear.

Request Detroit stand by in case

of any change in condition.

We'll try for Lincoln.

Roger, Global Two.

You are leaving my area.

Contact Cleveland Center, 117,5.

Good luck.

Roger, Toronto.

Cleveland Center

Global Two on your frequency.

Global Two, this is Cleveland Center

radar contact.

Turn right, heading 280.

Maintain one-zero-thousand.

Lincoln weather, sky obscured

visibility one mile in blowing snow.

Runway two-niner still closed.

But we have control damage which makes

landing on two-niner imperative.

Repeat:
imperative.

Roger, Global Two.

We'll relay your condition and request.

Keep monitoring, Bert.

I'll be in Mobile One.

Any change, call me.

Global Two, this is Cleveland Center...

All eyeglasses off.

Take off your eyeglasses and return

your seats to their upright position.

Take off your eyeglasses and return

your seats to their upright position.

What's more, the captain deliberately

struck me across the face.

Unless you shut up, the second officer

is going to do exactly the same thing.

Is there anything I can do to help?

Yes, father. I'm putting you

in charge of praying.

If that's an order, you're about

30 minutes too late, son.

Ladies and gentlemen,

this is captain Demerest.

I want to thank you for moving forward

in such an orderly manner.

It'll be a little warmer

for you this way

and it'll help us in controlling

the plane during landing.

You know we've all had trouble,

bad trouble.

I won't attempt to minimize it.

But we've all gone

through an experience

that none of us has ever had before.

And thank God we have come through.

We have the airplane under control.

We estimate landing

in about 25 minutes.

I won't try to kid you. We still

have a few problems ahead of us.

There are two thoughts

that should comfort you.

First, you're in one of the best

constructed planes that there is.

Second, tonight,

instead of one experienced captain

you have two,

captain Harris and myself.

Between us, we have more flying years

than we sometimes like to think about.

I'm gonna give you something

for the pain, but don't move your head.

Later on, Second Officer Jordan

will give you instructions

on landing procedure.

Please do exactly as he says

and I promise you we'll all come through

this together safely. Thank you.

Global Two, Cleveland Center.

Lincoln advises runway

two-niner still closed.

They are attempting to clear

but failing that,

plan landing on two-two.

Roger.

Want me to take over for a while?

Thanks.

Ground, Mobile One.

Yes, Mel.

Tell the chief to take a position

between runway two-niner and two-two

so they can move either way.

We'll notify which runway later.

Roger.

Turn left, heading 205.

At pilot's discretion,

descend and maintain 6.000.

Report when leaving one-zero-thousand.

Global Two, turning left, heading 205.

Leaving one-zero- thousand now.

Mr. Jordan said you wanted

to see me again, captain.

We radioed ahead, and they'll have

all the equipment you asked for.

Good. You'd better call again.

See if the airport doctor can have

an ophthalmic surgeon standing by.

For miss Meighen?

Yes.

Besides the other injuries I mentioned

I'm afraid her right eye has splinters.

Whether they're wood or metal,

I have no way of knowing.

Her left eye, as far as I can tell,

is unharmed.

Of course, it's too early

to draw conclusions.

Modern ophthalmic surgery

can do extraordinary things.

- I'd better get back to her.

- Doctor...

Gwen.. miss Meighen...

she's pregnant.

Does that make a difference?

I have no way of knowing.

Her pregnancy

can't be very far advanced.

No, it isn't.

The mother wasn't deprived of oxygen

long enough to do harm to the child.

No one was.

If there are no abdominal injuries,

and she survives

chances are fair to good that

the baby should be born normally.

Global Two leaving 8.000.

Advise Lincoln doctor to have

ophthalmic surgeon available.

Roger. Will notify.

I'll take over now.

Vern, I guess you know how badly

I feel about Gwen.

What's between you two,

that's none of my business.

But if there's anything

I can do as a friend...

You already have.

Mobile One, Ground Control.

Yes, Doug. This is Mel.

Cleveland just handed off

Flight Two to Chicago Center.

The transmissions from the aircraft

aren't exactly regulation.

The captain's blowing a fuse.

I'd like to monitor.

What's the frequency?

117,1.

We need answers, not questions.

Are you guys sleeping down there?

Why aren't we getting any action?

We need help.

Mobile Two, this is the Chicago Center

watch supervisor.

Please understand

we're doing everything we can.

We're holding other traffic

and giving you priority.

What type of approach do you wish?

Chicago Supervisor, listen carefully.

Any approach is no damn good

if it ends on runway two-two.

We need two-niner.

We've got an unserviceable

stabilizer trim

doubtful rudder control

and structural damage.

If we're brought in on two-two

there'll be a broken airplane

and a lot of dead people.

So you call Lincoln, mister,

and turn the screws.

Tell that Lincoln airport manager

to get off his penguin butt

and clear that runway.

Snow Desk, Mobile One.

This is Snow Desk.

Go ahead, Mel.

Danny, listen carefully.

Break the conga line.

Send the heavy plows

across to runway two-niner.

They're to head for stuck airplane

and await instructions.

Roger.

Conga Leader, Snow Desk.

That's it, on this side.

Get it as close

under the wheel as possible.

Give it a whack on the other side.

Keep monitoring Chicago

Center and Ground Control.

If you hear anything

I should know, honk the horn.

All right.

What's with the plows?

If you can't move this plane,

they will.

Shove an undamaged

airplane with snowplows?

Mel, are you out of your mind?

No, but I'm out of runways.

Think of what this baby costs.

I'm thinking of that

planeload of people.

This runway is the only hope

they've got.

If those snowplows rip it apart

you'll have chunks of fuselage

all over the runway.

I know, but it's a chance

I've got to take.

Okay.

But you keep those

dinky toys out of my hair

and away from this airplane

for 15 minutes.

Maybe less. I'll drive it out.

Joe, let's get one thing straight.

When the tower tells us we're

running out of time, that's it

there'll be no arguments.

The plows will move on my order.

Get everybody and everything

out of the way. We're starting up!

And get me somebody

that's cockpit qualified.

All right, everybody,

we're clearing out!

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