Defining Moments

Defining Moments - Northern Canada - Chapter 1

“Everybody, listen up.  The engine is dead - I can’t restart it.  We’re going to have to land somewhere out here and wait for help.  There’s nothing to worry about, we’re all fine and I can land it easily with no engine.”

The other three gaped at Mark as he said this; all simultaneously thinking the same thing. We’re going to crash!

“Ideally, I’d like to set it down on a straight stretch of road, but we may have to settle for a clearing,” Mark continued.  “So take a look around you - there’s no time to go hunting, so we need to decide on a spot in the next few seconds.  If we can’t see it now, then we can’t use it.”

“Brenda, do you want to look to the rear?” Ellie asked.  “I can look sideways.”

“Good idea,” Mark said. “Tony and I will look forward.” 

“There’s a road behind us to the right!” Brenda said - her nose pressed to the window. “It disappears behind the plane.  It’s a winding road though.”

“I can see it coming around from the back and up to a patch of bald ground off to the left there,” Ellie added.  “Looks like it leads into an area that’s been stripped by logging.”  She stretched across the empty seat beside her, straining to see.  “It’s pretty winding on this side, too - but there is a short straight stretch just before the clearing.”

Mark banked to the left and turned to look over his left shoulder.  “Shit!” he said. “It’s on the side of a hill!”

Ellie was back at the right window.  “There’s nothing over here on the right for sure,” she said.  “Bush as far as the eye can see.  Tony - do you see anything out ahead?”  Tony had no trouble hearing her now, with the engine silent.

“Goddamned trees! What do you think?” he snorted.  Then he turned to Mark. “You really think you can land this piece of junk without killing all of us?” 

Brenda’s responding whimper was barely audible, but Ellie caught it and turned to squeeze her knee.  “Don’t worry, we’re going to be fine.”  Brenda nodded, but her eyes betrayed her disbelief. Ellie couldn’t say much - she wished she could believe it herself.

“I’ll do my best,” Mark said.  “Let’s just hope that last straight stretch of road is long enough.”  He knew it wasn’t, but there was no point worrying everyone even more by admitting that.  There weren’t any other options.

“Okay, here we go,” Mark said, banking the plane to the left.  “This is what I need you all to do.  First, sit facing straight forward, and tighten your seat belts until you squeak.  Ellie, Brenda - did you get all your gear stowed? We don’t need projectiles flying around the cabin as we land.”

“Yup. It’s done,” Ellie said, mentally noting that nothing would be expected to fly around the cabin if this was actually going to be a “landing’.  She didn’t put voice to the thought though; Brenda was already hyperventilating over the intercom.

“Okay, good.  Put on your jackets, hat and mitts.”

“I haven’t got any goddamn hat and mitts,” Tony complained, but Mark ignored him.

“Now, remember the first aid kit is under my seat, the fire extinguisher is here between the two front seats.” He pointed to the red cylinder clamped to the floor between him and Tony.  “The survival kit is in the tail; so is the ELT.  It should activate automatically when we land…”

When we crash, Ellie thought, pulling her Sherpa hat on and stuffing her hair up under it.

“ELT?” Brenda asked.