Sojourners of the Sky

"She's going over onto her back!" cried Asa. "Hang on, Asa! I've got it!" announced John. The airplane was out of control, but John stayed with it, trying desperately to right the ship. The acting captain channeled every one of his four thousand hours into his hands and feet, willing them to work in unison. Outside was a black void. With no way of knowing where the horizon was, John struggled to focus his eyes on the vibrating instruments. The blurry dials before him were all that he had; he knew they were the keys to survival. He told himself to concentrate. John squinted at his artificial horizon and was shocked by what he saw. The gauge indicated that the airplane was rapidly approaching the edge of its approved operating envelope. The nose was pitched up nearly twenty degrees, and the bank was so steep, it looked like the four engine transport was indeed getting ready to flip over!