Plane Craziness.. Pun Intended...
Our second attempt to fly to London.... We take off and hear a large POP. Now, I have been flying long enough, that I know every single sound, bump and bang an airplane should be creating from takeoff to landing. This sound was not right. As soon as I realized we weren't gaining altitude, I knew something was up, but I hadn't heard any 'come-up-here dings' yet, so I didn't know details. Soon after, the pilots informed me that we had blown a tire on takeoff. Not a fatal thing here, so I'm happy, for lack of other words... We are full of fuel, so we need to circle and burn quite a bit off...I know we're in for a substantial delay. We end up circling Phoenix for the next 3 hours! We nicknamed it the Scottsdale 500 (as in Indy 500). I had plenty of time to read gossip mags, eat my chicken Caesar salad, and take in the plethora of track housing Phoenix is stuffing into the newly created cul-de-sacs and neighborhood developments. We even did 2 low control tower fly-by's so they could visually check out the damage done to our landing gear. I felt like Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
It was now time to land. Just like in emergency training, we sat in brace positions, facing the rear of the plane, hands under our thighs, head flush with the head rest. I see a News 10 helicopter following us off to the side... Great. This better end well....
We land. Picture perfect, by the book, marvelous job... THANKFULLY we had no passengers, it was just myself, and one of the pilot's wives. She looked extremely nervous, so I reached out and held her hand. We see the fire trucks racing down the runway parallel to us. The cabin starts to fill with smoke... It's not the smell of burning rubber, so we yell up to the pilots that we have smoke in the cabin. We don't see a fire, but that doesn't mean there isn't one... We later find out it was just the smoke from the hydraulics. All I can say in an attempt to ease any tension or fear is "Let's get off this plane ASAP and find me a hot firefighter!!". It works. Laughs....
We get off the plane, the firefighters get on. All is well, we're on the ground, we're safe and at least still in Phoenix. I can sleep in my own bed tonight. I'm thankful for the little things at this point.
Upon further inspection, we find that part of the shredded tire has lodged itself in the wing and has created a large hole. Other parts of the tire have dented the right engine.
I am so grateful for the power of prayer. Thank you to those who prayed for our safe landing. Thank you for the support we received on the ground. It wasn't the most dangerous of situations, but uncertainty of what might and could have happened was as close to the edge that I ever want to get.
Statistically, flying still is the safest way to travel. I leave again this Friday for 2 days in NYC, 2 days in Paris, 2 days in Athens and a week on the island of Crete :)
A piece of the tire lodged in the wing
Shredded tire
Dented right engine with the scuff marks from the tire
It was now time to land. Just like in emergency training, we sat in brace positions, facing the rear of the plane, hands under our thighs, head flush with the head rest. I see a News 10 helicopter following us off to the side... Great. This better end well....
We land. Picture perfect, by the book, marvelous job... THANKFULLY we had no passengers, it was just myself, and one of the pilot's wives. She looked extremely nervous, so I reached out and held her hand. We see the fire trucks racing down the runway parallel to us. The cabin starts to fill with smoke... It's not the smell of burning rubber, so we yell up to the pilots that we have smoke in the cabin. We don't see a fire, but that doesn't mean there isn't one... We later find out it was just the smoke from the hydraulics. All I can say in an attempt to ease any tension or fear is "Let's get off this plane ASAP and find me a hot firefighter!!". It works. Laughs....
We get off the plane, the firefighters get on. All is well, we're on the ground, we're safe and at least still in Phoenix. I can sleep in my own bed tonight. I'm thankful for the little things at this point.
Upon further inspection, we find that part of the shredded tire has lodged itself in the wing and has created a large hole. Other parts of the tire have dented the right engine.
I am so grateful for the power of prayer. Thank you to those who prayed for our safe landing. Thank you for the support we received on the ground. It wasn't the most dangerous of situations, but uncertainty of what might and could have happened was as close to the edge that I ever want to get.
Statistically, flying still is the safest way to travel. I leave again this Friday for 2 days in NYC, 2 days in Paris, 2 days in Athens and a week on the island of Crete :)
Video I took after we got off the airplane at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
A piece of the tire lodged in the wing
Shredded tire
Dented right engine with the scuff marks from the tire
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