Unknown Skies part 5
After Quebec Echo climbed back out of its practice approach, Sam and Dan discussed their landing options.
"It looks like the bay down below is frozen over so we can make a gear down landing" Sam noted.
"You sure about that? There were people on that ice and is the ice going to take the weight of the aircraft?" Dan asked sceptically.
"Boeing 757's fly to Antarctica all the time and land on ice. We should be fine on that front. As for the people, they'll hear the sound of our engines." Sam replied reassuringly.
"I just hope your right." Dan said back in a nervous tone.
"So do I" was Sam's reply as he guided the 757 back around in order to make a final approach and landing.
As Sam did this, he activated the PA system and said in a reassuring tone,
"Attention Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are about to make a landing attempt. On behalf of the crew, we thank you all for your patience for these past few difficult hours. All we ask of you is that you follow the instructions of the Cabin Crew and we should be on the ground shortly."
As Sam finished the PA message, Dan levelled the aircraft out on final approach. Every light the Boeing 757-200 had available was switched on to aid anyone on the ground in seeing the rapidly approaching airliner.
"Let's begin landing checklist." Dan said; all business like now.
"Ok" was Sam's reply.
"Landing gear?" Dan asked.
Sam pulled down the landing gear lever; the sound of the electrical motors lowering the gear could be heard, followed by three metallic thuds as the landing gear locked into place.
"Down" Sam confirmed.
"Flaps?"
"Down to 30 degrees"
"Trim?"
"Set"
"Speedbrakes?"
"Armed"
"Landing checklist is complete" Dan announced when he and Sam finished going through the landing checklist.
The 757 was now on final approach, the wheels only 200 feet above the water's surface and descending rapidly.
"This is it. We have one shot at this. The last landing of an Aircraft anywhere. Let's make it a great one." Sam said loudly in an attempt to boost his and Dan's spirits.
Dan took one last look down at the fuel gauge and exclaimed in a terrified voice,
"We are only five minutes from fuel exhaustion!"
Sam didn't seem to notice as he calmly drew back the power on the 757's twin Rolls Royce engines in order to save the thimble worth of fuel left.
Quebec Echo was only 100 feet from the ground at this point and as it passed that altitude, the alert systems called out,
"100!"
The aircraft passed rapidly over the ice's edge and was only seconds from landing. Just before the aircraft touched down Sam and Dan raised the nose of the Boeing 757 and the main wheels touched down on the thick ice at over 180 knots.
Seconds after the main gear touched down, the nose lowered and the nose gear touched down. With that, the Speedbrakes automatically deployed and Sam applied the brakes and reverse thrust.
When the comforting sound of the reverse thrust and the accompanying vibrations entered the cabin, the passengers all clapped and cheered as the powerful airliner began to slowly, but surely slow down to a stop.
Once below 50 knots in speed, Sam switched of the thrust reversers, retracted the Speedbrakes and retracted the flaps. Using the wheel brakes to bring the aircraft to a full and complete stop.
Quebec Echo stopped as smoothly as it normally did on airline operations and just after it stopped, Sam and Dan immediately shut down the engines to try and save what little fuel they had left. If they could get their hands on more fuel, they could use the APU to pump it on-board.
As the engines shut down, silence filled the cabin and everyone on-board took a collective sigh of relief.
Winter Airways flight 595, an ordinary Boeing 757 flight to Leeds, surviving a nuclear exchange and was now safely on the Ground, or Ice if you wanted to be specific.
Sam and Dan both gave each other a high five for a job well done, but as they unstrapped themselves from their seats, Dan looked out of the cockpit windows and exclaimed,
"There are people out there and they are coming for us!"
Sam looked out to where Dan was looking and yes, there were a lot of people, some of them carrying flaming torches, others obviously armed and led by a blonde woman in a magnificent blue dress were moving steadily towards them!
"Evacuate the aircraft. If they see we are unarmed civilians, those people probably won't attack" Sam told Dan.
"I just hope you are right mate" was Dan's nervous reply before he and Sam left the cockpit in order to begin evacuation of Flight 595.