I was flying into Anniston, Alabama from Canada on a 727. We were flying over Flint Michigan when the Captain of the plane put us into a dive from 30,000 feet to avoid a near miss! The Co-Pilot of the aircraft needed to lift up on two switches which would put the engines into a power burst. In his excitement, he lifted up on the wrong levers. Instead of the power burst, he lifted the engine shut off switches by mistake.
The plane began a downward dive at a very rapid rate. People
in the passenger section were nauseated and the ones who did not
have their seat belts fastened began to fly all over the plane.
People were screaming and cursing.
When I am flying and the seat belt sign turns off I loosen my
seat belt, but I always keep it locked. It is just a habit I began
long ago because of good advice from my Mother to do so each time
I took a flight.
I didn't know the lady sitting next to me but she also had her
seat belt fastened. I turned to her and asked if she would like
to pray with me. She said, "Oh, Yes." We took each other's
hand and began to pray the Lord's prayer. We both felt we were
going to die and wanted to die praying if it was our time to go.
It amazed me that some of the people were actually cursing God,
especially at a time when they might meet him face to face within
a few moments.
The Pilots were frantically trying to restart the engines. As
the lady and I were praying we heard the engine, which was just
outside of our window, start. In a moment the other engine started
and they were able to put the plane into a climbing position again.
Later, we heard that the plane dove to a 2,500 foot level while
powering to pull up into a climb. Now, that is pretty close.
The lady, whom I learned later was Carol Buchanan, said a prayer
of thanks to the Lord for saving our lives. 2,500 feet is not
very high for a four engine jet that goes into a vertical dive
and then has it's engines shut off in error.
I have heard that, since then, the aircraft company who builds
that plane has plastic covers over the switches that shut down
the engines. That error can never happen again.
An article appeared in Reader's Digest several years ago concerning
this incident in the Drama Real Life Section.
I am going through something like that now in my life. I am not
falling free in an aircraft, but I am very ill with Polyneuropathy
which is a very painful disease and it is life threatening, just
as a falling aircraft can crash and take one's life. That is why
my faith has to be so strong when facing any situation that may
result in my meeting Christ. When that happens, I want to be praying
and doing my best to carry out my duties as a Christian prayer
warrior for God. I am not going to be like one of those passengers
on the plane, falling to what we thought was certain death and
cursing God. No Way.
I love my Lord Jesus Christ with all of my heart and soul and
I want to be doing the right things when He comes for me.
Danny, a child of The King.
Music-the Lord's Prayer
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