A Heart Attack at 18,000 Feet

The air traffic control tower sat quiet, its hum the only sound save for the occasional crackle of the radio. The controller were just finishing their routine check-ins when a sudden silence took over the frequency. the communication from the small twin-engine plane they had been monitoring was abruptly cut off.

For a split second, the control tower thought it was a technical glitch. Radios sometimes had issues, and occasionally, pilots went a little too far out of the range, especially on this route. But as the seconds stretched on, that initial assumption faded. The plane had been in regular communication, and this silence felt different, more ominous.

Then, the phone rang.

The attendant on duty, a woman in her late thirties named Erica, reached out to answer. She could hear the panic in the caller's voice before he even said a word.'' Emergency!!'' the voice shouted."The pilots had sudden and fatal heart attacks. I'am on his satellite phone. He told me to call you before we took off. We're flying at 18,000 feet and going up and down at 180 miles per hour!!! Please help!''

Erica's heart skipped a beat as she immediatley activated the speakerphone and relayed the information to the team. The calmness of the room shifted in to high alert. She addressed the caller, keeping her voice as steady as possbie, despite the obvious distress in her chest."Okay, stay calm. We're here to heplp you. We're goin to get through this. First things first, tell me your location. How do you know you're at 18,000 feet ?''

There was a brief pause before the man's voice came back, shaky but determined.''I see it on the dial. it says 18,000 feet right in front of me."

Erica nodded, relieved that the man at least had some idea of his altitude. The more data they had, the better they could help. ''Okay, that's good. How do you know you're flying at 180 miles per hour?'' she asked.

Another pause. " I see it on the airspeed dial in front of me. It says 180 miles per hour.

Erica exhaled slowly, glad to hear he was still able to check the instruments.''All right. That's good, very good. We're making progress. Now, I need you to stay calm and listen carefully. I know it's very cloudy up there today, so tell me, how do you know you're flying upside down?''

There was a longer silence this time, one that made Erica's heart pound in her chest. The seconds stretched long as the man seemed to search for words.

Finally, the voice came back, and it was almost a whisper at first.''The urine in my pants is dripping down my shirt collar."

The humor hit Erica like a sudden wave, hard and unexpected. For a split second, she felt her mind break the tension with a brief laugh, but it was only momentary. There was work to do, and they were still flying. But the absurdity of the moment was not lost on her, and she admired the passenger's ability to maintain some form of dark humor under pressure.

Still, they had a crisis at hand.

''Okay, listen to me carefully," Erica continued, taking control. "You're doing great. You've got to the right altitude and speed. Now, here's what I need you to do- Don't touch anything unless I tell you. I need you to descend slowly to 12,000 feet. Your priority is to get below the clouds so you can see. Do you understand"?

''Yes,'' the man replied, his voice more composed now.

"Good. Keep your hands off the controls unless I say otherwise. I'll talk you through this. First, gently pull the yoke towards you to start descending. You don't need to do it quickly - just slow and steady. You'll fell the nose drop a bit."

Erica's mind reaced through the mental checklist. She was relying on the poilot's traing, even if the piolt was no longer with them. The man would need to trust the instruments, say calm, and hope for the best.

''Okay," the man's voice said, sounding more confident now, "I've pulled back.''

''Great," Erica replied."Now, let's focus on getting your vision clear. Once we're below 12,000 feet, we'll reassess. Do you have any radio communication with other aircraft in the area ?''

'' No, nothing,'' came the reply. ''just the saellite phone."

Erica nodded and relayed instructions to the rest of the tower, ensuring they had backup plans in place. There was no way of knowing how long this emergency might last, but they were going to get this man back safely.

Minutes felt like hours as the twin engine plane descended throught the thick layers of cloud, its erratic movemnts slowly starting to stabilize. Erica kept talking, kept guiding the man as best as she could.

''Alright,'' Erica said, after a few more tense minutes. "Yu should be approaching 12,000 feet now. Look for a break in the clouds. If you can see the ground, let me know."

A long pause, then "Yes…., yes, I see the ground !!! It's cloudy, but i can make out terrain. I'm descending turther."

Eric allowed herself a brief smile, although it was barely a flicker of relief. They weren't out of danger yet, but they were getting closer.

''Good," Erica replied. ''Now,