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SaltPork · 01-19-2004, 07:35 PM

This is going to be a bit of a long story, so for those of you with short attention spans, sorry.

So I was on a business trip to Toronto and flying back in one of those tiny Beechcraft 18 seater prop planes. Let me preface by saying that the plane was delayed 2 hours, lots of fun. We take off around 9:40 pm or so. I was flying back to the Boston area so the plane would take a path that leads straight out over Lake Ontario and about halfway across it would take about a 90 degree turn to the left (north-ish). Traveling the long way down the center of the lake.

As we were gaining altitude and watching the city lights slipping away beneath us and giving way to the blackness of the lake, I turned to the guy across the aisle from me and asked if he smelled something burning. He said he did, but suggested it was just the heat. My asking gave those around me reason to become more alert as the smell grew more pungent. Then I asked if he saw smoke. He said he thought his glasses were just dirty but if I was seeing it (I don't wear glasses), then there must be something. Another minute went by and there was considerably more smoke.

At this point some of you are wondering where the flight attendant is....there isn't one on an 18 seat plane, just a pilot and a co-pilot.

By now everyone was getting nervous and one guy knocked on the cockpit door to alert the pilots that something was not quite right. The co-pilot came back and told us he was dropping the oxygen masks and to stay calm. The pilot came on shortly after that and told us the same thing and he banked us around back to Toronto. Keep in mind that below us was nothing but a gigantic lake and air temperature of -22 F. Obviously, it would have been bad to go down in that situation.

The pilots did a good job of hightailing it back to Toronto and getting us on the ground. When the pilot killed the engines, a huge plume of smoke came out of the starboard (right side) engine. I was never so happy to get off a plane.

Fast-forward one hour later: Four of us are standing outside the airport waiting for the shuttle bus to the hotel the airline put us up in; a bus pulls up, but it's not going to the hotel we are going to. One of the guys says, "The bus is empty and it's freezing, we'll give you $20." Still the answer is no. So we wait another 5 minutes for the correct bus. On our way to the hotel we saw the bus we were trying to get on in the middle of an intersection smashed to pieces from a box truck! We all just kind of looked at each other.

How many more bullets can you dodge in one night?

I know that was long winded, but I needed to share.

01-19-2004, 07:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
SaltPork Everything's better with bacon Location: In your local grocer's freezer.	Final Destination? This is going to be a bit of a long story, so for those of you with short attention spans, sorry. So I was on a business trip to Toronto and flying back in one of those tiny Beechcraft 18 seater prop planes. Let me preface by saying that the plane was delayed 2 hours, lots of fun. We take off around 9:40 pm or so. I was flying back to the Boston area so the plane would take a path that leads straight out over Lake Ontario and about halfway across it would take about a 90 degree turn to the left (north-ish). Traveling the long way down the center of the lake. As we were gaining altitude and watching the city lights slipping away beneath us and giving way to the blackness of the lake, I turned to the guy across the aisle from me and asked if he smelled something burning. He said he did, but suggested it was just the heat. My asking gave those around me reason to become more alert as the smell grew more pungent. Then I asked if he saw smoke. He said he thought his glasses were just dirty but if I was seeing it (I don't wear glasses), then there must be something. Another minute went by and there was considerably more smoke. At this point some of you are wondering where the flight attendant is....there isn't one on an 18 seat plane, just a pilot and a co-pilot. By now everyone was getting nervous and one guy knocked on the cockpit door to alert the pilots that something was not quite right. The co-pilot came back and told us he was dropping the oxygen masks and to stay calm. The pilot came on shortly after that and told us the same thing and he banked us around back to Toronto. Keep in mind that below us was nothing but a gigantic lake and air temperature of -22 F. Obviously, it would have been bad to go down in that situation. The pilots did a good job of hightailing it back to Toronto and getting us on the ground. When the pilot killed the engines, a huge plume of smoke came out of the starboard (right side) engine. I was never so happy to get off a plane. Fast-forward one hour later: Four of us are standing outside the airport waiting for the shuttle bus to the hotel the airline put us up in; a bus pulls up, but it's not going to the hotel we are going to. One of the guys says, "The bus is empty and it's freezing, we'll give you $20." Still the answer is no. So we wait another 5 minutes for the correct bus. On our way to the hotel we saw the bus we were trying to get on in the middle of an intersection smashed to pieces from a box truck! We all just kind of looked at each other. How many more bullets can you dodge in one night? I know that was long winded, but I needed to share. __________________ It was like that when I got here....I swear.