THE INS AND OUTS OF AIRCRAFT PASSENGER RESCUE

THE INS AND OUTS OF AIRCRAFT PASSENGER RESCUE

It was a crystal clear evening when the Boeing 737-300 was cleared for landing at a large western international airport. The captain requested over the intercom that the flight attendants prepare the cabin for landing. The sleek twin-engine jet turned gently from the base leg to the final approach, and the engines were throttled back for the descent. It had been a smooth, uneventful flight and the mood inside the near-capacity cabin was calm and quiet. The flight attendants had finished with last-minute cabin-landing details and were seated in their assigned positions. The aircraft was aligned with the center stripe of the designated runway, and the glide slope and approach were textbook perfect. The tower gave the captain final landing clearance, and the captain made the last cockpit checks for gear extension, flap, and engine power settings. The aircraft was over the threshold, and the main landing gear was seconds away from reaching out to touch the runway surface. Touchdown, and a peculiar feeling and noise level were apparent-something was wrong! The aircraft then made an abrupt turn to the right and came to a jarring stop within seconds. The passengers and crew immediately noticed the intense orange glow through the cabin windows, and the acrid smell of burning jet fuel permeated the cabin. Above the screams of the scared and injured overwhelmed occupants and in the thick, choking black smoke, someone was yelling, “Unfasten your seat belts and come this way.”

AIRCRAFT PASSENGER RESCUE