… again.
"Two pilots, in a jovial mood as they flew an empty commuter jet, wanted to ‘have a little fun’ by taking the plane to an unusually high altitude last October, only to realize as the engines failed that they were not going to make it, according to transcripts released Monday.
"The plane, which the two were ferrying from Little Rock, Ark[ansas] to Minneapolis, crashed and both Capt. Jesse Rhodes and First Officer Peter Cesarz perished.
"The cockpit voice recording, released by the National Transportation Safety Board at the start of a three-day hearing into the Oct. 14, 2004 accident, revealed how the pilots cracked jokes and decided to ‘have a little fun’ and fly to 41,000 feet — the maximum altitude for their plane. Most commuter jets fly at lower altitudes."
Tragic as this story is, I can’t help but speculate on this pair’s intake interview with St. Peter outside the Pearly Gates.
PETER: "Reason for being here?"
PILOT: "We, ah, well…. We wanted to have a little fun."
PETER: "I see. And are you having fun now?"
Michelle and more of her fear of flying stories. 😉
At least because of them, now we know what “maximum limit” means. It doesn’t mean this is the highest you can go and still fly. It means, reach this and you die.