Birds Escort Plane Daily Until Captain Notices Something’s Wrong

Awe

As Paul stared at the wreckage, he was filled with awe. Despite being aware of the danger birds posed to planes, the experience they had was out of this world.

Everyone on their plane, including Captain Thompson and Tony Jones, thought they wouldn’t make it for a moment.

It would take Paul some time to realize that the birds had another motivation for doing what they did.

His Favorite Thing

After being a pilot for over five years, Paul Thompson loved his job. A particular highlight was seeing the world and meeting new people on long international flights.

His excitement grew as he boarded the plane for the next international flight on his list.

As he took his seat, he said, “Yet another day in paradise.” However, this flight was different from all the others.

He Was Used To It

Everything seemed to be normal at first. As soon as the preflight checks were complete, they lifted off.

The birds came into view as the plane was climbing. The scene would seem strange to someone who didn’t understand what was happening.

The fact that Paul had seen this on every flight he had taken in the past month did not bother him. He initially found it odd, but soon adapted to it.

Acting Differently

There was something different about the birds on this particular day.

Before, they would circle the plane a couple of times, but once it went too high, they disappeared.

Unlike last time, they concentrated all their attention on one side of the plane. Mostly, they gathered around the wing of the plane, flying along its side.

Preventing Him From Turning

The situation only became stranger when Paul attempted to turn west.

In response, the birds seemed to push back, even though some of them were hurt.

In that moment, Paul realized the birds were actually piloting the plane. This seemed strange to Paul, because they didn’t want him to turn.

It Wasn’t Right

It was his gut feeling that Paul should turn around and report the incident to the airport.

In this regard, Tony was strongly in agreement.

Paul would’ve done it on the spot, but a situation like this one requires a lot of consideration. A flight delayed without any reason, for example, would make the airline very angry.

At A Loss For Words

In addition, Paul would have no clue what to say to the air traffic controller.

The pilot couldn’t tell them that they were afraid of a bunch of birds stalking their plane, after all.

He would just be laughed off and ignored if he chose that route. The risk they were taking, however, was it worth continuing?

What To Do?

Paul was in a very bad position as a result of the birds. It was his instincts that urged him to take action, but he was told not to do so by his logic.

But the worst part was that he would have to harm a lot of birds in order to make that turn.

Many would crash to the ground as he forced his way through the crowd.

His Decision

Paul decided that continuing the flight would be the best course of action.

It would prevent him from getting into trouble over an issue he assumed to be serious.

That would require him to make a quick turn before interfering with traffic flow if he wanted to do that. What is the safest way to do that?

The Best Course Of Action

Taking a sharp turn to the east would disorient the birds, Paul thought. Meanwhile, he could turn west while they tried to calm down.

Thus, he’d be able to avoid the birds and follow the right path.

It never occurred to him that a simple turn would turn into such a massive tragedy. It all went downhill after he turned.

Tragedy Struck

As soon as the plane tilted to the west, every single alarm bell they had went on.

Smoke billowed from the wing, and it only took a few seconds for Paul to see the bright orange flames spewing from the engine.

At this point, the birds were the least of his concerns. He needed to get the plane on the ground before he lost all control.

So Many Screams

Terrified screams ripped through the plane. The passengers saw the flames and started to panic.

Many people know that an engine fire could mean only one thing.

And because of that, the passengers were freaking out. Children were crying while their parents ran amok. And the four air hostesses on duty couldn’t do anything about it.

Calming The Passengers

Paul called the air hostesses on duty to inform them that they had to get control of the situation before things got really out of hand.

He understood how those people felt, as he felt the same way.

But he couldn’t focus on what he was doing with all the commotion that was going on outside.

Futile Attempts

The air hostesses tried their best to calm the passengers down, but there was only so much they could do in such a situation.

They were just as afraid as the passengers were, so their reassurance didn’t help much.

People wanted to get out of the plane, and they weren’t going to let anyone stop them.

Calling The Tower

Trying his best to remain calm, Paul radioed the control tower. His first call went unanswered, and so did the second.

He was starting to panic. The pilots needed a new route and a safe place to land. And they needed it right away. But their distress calls went unanswered.

Tony was panicking just as much as the passengers were, and Paul knew it was only a matter of time before the man snapped.

Eternal Silence

Paul shoved the receiver into Tony’s hand and tried to talk him down.

He asked Tony to keep radioing the tower until they responded, hoping the distraction would keep him calm enough to see it through.

“Mayday!” Tony shouted into the receiver, but once again, there was no answer. Paul looked out of his window to see how severe things were and realized he had another problem on his hands.

More Birds Approach

The birds that had been there since they lifted off were still circling the plane. They weren’t bothered by the fire at all. But that wasn’t all.

More birds were coming toward them, and it wasn’t only one or two of them.

There were birds as far as the eye could see. And that was quickly becoming a problem.

Bigger Problems

The more smoke barreled out of the engine, the closer the birds came. And once again, they were starting to gather on that side of the plane.

What was just an amusing reaction at first quickly turned into something incredibly dangerous.

Even more so now that they were only running on one engine. One mishap could send them crashing to the ground with no way out.

Birds Vs. Planes

Most people know how dangerous birds are to planes. There’s a reason why airports do everything in their power to deter birds.

And the reason is that birds and plane engines don’t get along very well.

Because of the speed at which the turbines rotate is so high, something as little as a bird getting into the engine could be disastrous.

Bad Combination

That risk is amplified when the plane is in mid-flight.

If one of those birds had to get caught up in their only working engine, the plane would crash down in a matter of seconds.

And with the state the plane was in, Paul couldn’t afford to take the risk. He had to shake the birds off right away.

A Diversion

Just as Paul was formulating his plan of action, the control center got in touch.

They informed Paul and Tony that it was far too dangerous for them to return to the airport, as they had already gone too far.

But not all hope was lost. There was a small airstrip nearby, and even though it wasn’t built for planes that size, it was the only option they had.

Can They Make It?

Paul immediately changed direction, so he could line up with the airstrip. But then a warning light went on that had him questioning everything.

The plane was losing fuel faster than they expected it would.

And if it kept dropping at the rate it was, they would hit the ground before the airstrip came into view.

Concerned

Even though Paul was extremely concerned, he kept quiet.

Everyone was already so stressed out about what was happening, and adding this problem would make them freak out completely.

Paul just had to find a way to deal with the situation. He’d worry about the rest when they touched down and got out of the plane.

A Final Announcement

As Paul was scanning the area around them, he decided to make his final announcement.

He took a deep breath and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to ask you to return to your seats and fasten your seat belts.”

Suddenly, everyone became quiet. “We’ll be making an emergency landing. So we need you to brace for impact.”

The Severity Sets In

Tony looked at Paul with big, shocked eyes. Paul knew it was a silent question—a confirmation of his suspicions. “We’re not going to make it to the strip,” Paul whispered.

As soon as he said the words out loud, the realization set in.

Paul knew that even though he was trying his best, there was no guarantee that any of them would make it.

He Had No Choice

Paul tightened his grip on the yoke and steered the plane toward a river he had seen a few moments before.

When he was aligned with the river, he pushed down.

Tony closed his eyes and started praying. The river was getting bigger as they approached, and at that moment, Paul only had one thing on his mind. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

Bracing For Impact

Paul grabbed Tony’s hand, and even though he wasn’t a religious man, he started praying.

When he opened his eyes, he saw just how close they were to the end.

Paul pulled Tony down, and the two of them covered their heads with their arms. The force of the impact slammed Paul back into his seat, knocking the air from his lungs.

Not The Softest Landing

For a moment, Paul was afraid to open his eyes. But eventually, he managed to force himself to do so.

The plane was in the river, and it was slowly filling with water.

But even though the landing wasn’t as soft as Paul hoped it would be, they were still alive, and the plane was mostly intact.

Escaping The Wreckage

Paul laughed as relief washed over him, but it was short-lived. They weren’t out of danger yet.

Paul helped Tony to his feet, and as soon as they left the cockpit, they started helping the rest of the passengers.

Pretty soon after that, everyone was on the riverbed waiting for the rescue teams to arrive. It seemed like the disaster was finally over. But it was something that would haunt Paul for months to come.

Months Later

The airline launched an investigation into the crash, and six months after they managed to gather all of the debris, they had the answers Paul was looking for.

All this time, he had assumed that a bird got caught in the engine, but the birds weren’t out to ruin his day. During the last service, a screw wasn’t tightened properly. As a result of it falling between the fins, the engine caught fire. The birds were just trying to warn Paul.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.