Chapter 10 - STOP FLIGHT 227
David ran for the cockpit.
“Set the parking brake!”
The captain was already reaching for it.
Nothing happened.
“The tug has control.”
“Tell them to stop.”
The first officer keyed the radio.
“Ramp, stop push. Stop push now.”
Static answered.
The airplane kept moving.
Catherine braced one hand against a seat.
Malik stumbled into her.
Mercer stood by the closed door, one hand gripping the galley wall.
“This is normal pushback.”
David stared at him.
“You are either involved or too stupid to understand what’s happening.”
Mercer’s face twitched.
“Careful.”
“Or what?”
A hard bang came from beneath the floor.
Everyone froze.
The ticking stopped.
The silence was worse.
The captain keyed the radio again.
“Ramp, Flight 227. Emergency stop. Stop pushback.”
A different voice answered.
“Flight 227, we show no emergency declaration.”
“I’m declaring one now.”
“Stand by.”
David slapped the cockpit frame.
“Don’t stand by. Kill external power, kill everything you can.”
The first officer reached across the panel.
Warnings bloomed amber.
Then disappeared.
Then came back.
“System’s cycling.”
The captain looked at the raw temperature page.
134°F.
136.
139.
The primary screen still read NORMAL.
“Jesus.”
Mercer’s phone rang again.
This time David took it from his hand.
“Give me that.”
Mercer lunged.
David shoved him into the galley wall.
The phone skidded across the floor.
Malik picked it up.
“Malik, don’t—”
The call answered on speaker.
Elliot Vance’s voice filled the cabin.
“Grant? Why haven’t you cleared the gate?”
No one spoke.
“Grant?”
David took the phone from Malik.
“He’s busy.”
Silence.
Then Vance said, “David.”
“You’re pushing an unsafe aircraft away from a gate while its crew is declaring an emergency.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’m looking at one hundred forty-one degrees in the forward electronics bay.”
Vance stopped breathing for a beat.
David heard it.
“You knew exactly where the fault was.”
“Get off the aircraft.”
“The bridge is gone.”
“Then have the tug return you.”
“Tell it to stop.”
Vance did not answer.
David’s eyes narrowed.
“You can’t.”
“David—”
“You’re not controlling this anymore, are you?”
Mercer lunged for the phone.
Catherine blocked him.
“Back off.”
He shoved her shoulder.
Malik shouted.
David grabbed Mercer by the jacket and slammed him against a bulkhead.
“Touch her again.”
The captain’s voice cut through.
“Enough!”
He pointed at Mercer.
“Sit down or I will have you restrained.”
Mercer stared at him.
Then sat.
The tug finally stopped.
Everyone shifted forward with the jolt.
A radio call broke through.
“Flight 227, ramp received your emergency. Hold position. Fire response is rolling.”
David exhaled once.
Then the first officer whispered, “No.”
The raw temperature hit 149°F.
A red warning appeared.
FORWARD E-BAY COOLING FLOW: LOW.
Catherine touched the vent above her.
“Air just dropped.”
Malik looked up.
The cabin ventilation had weakened to a faint breath.
David’s chest tightened.
The cooling system was losing airflow.
The first officer flipped another switch.
Nothing.
“Backup fan isn’t responding.”
The captain looked at David.
“How bad?”
“Bad enough to evacuate now.”
“We’re on a live ramp with no bridge.”
“Use the slides.”
Mercer stood again.
“You deploy slides and shut down this aircraft, you’ll cause millions in—”
David turned on him.
“Finish that sentence.”
Mercer stopped.
The captain grabbed the interphone.
“Cabin crew, prepare for emergency evacuation.”
Catherine moved toward the forward door.
Malik stayed beside David.
“Dad.”
“I know.”
A thin gray ribbon curled from the seam beneath the galley floor.
Catherine saw it first.
Her hand froze on the door handle.
“Smoke.”
May you like
Then the alarm screamed.
