Nightmare In "The Valley" Chapter 1 3 years ago, a day after the deadly crash: A witness of the plane crash tells the story how it happens. Let's read the interview... Interviewer: Today we have Tom, a witness of this deadly plane crash. So Tom, you said you live right between the airport and the crash site. Can you tell me what happened? Tom: Well it was an American Airlines flight. Right after it took off, i noticed that the plane was stopping and starting quite a lot. It was a very large airliner, with a full 420 seats. It was long, and had 2 engines on each 198 foot wing. Maximum speed of the airliner is 567mph or 492.71 knots. I: Excuse me for a second. You seem to know a lot about planes. How? T: It's all good. And I am a retired Air Force pilot. I love planes and i have learned a lot about them before i became a pilot. I: ladies and gentlemen, give this good sir a round of applause for his service. [applause] T: thank you. I: so you seem to definitely know when something isn't right with planes, even from the outside yeah? T: yes sir i do. I: fantastic, on with the story. T: so it seemed to me like 2 of the 4 engines were blowing out on each wing as it was taking off. These planes can indeed fly on 2 engines. But the altitude was much too low to only be running on 2 engines. You need full power to take off. These flights can fly on 2 engines at cruising altitude but in this case the altitude was much too low to successfully take off. I: thats not good at all. Did the passengers feel it? T: well considering the fact that they're all dead, we'll never know the stories of the people on board. [laughs] I: thats true [laughs] T: so i see the plane beginning to drift, like a leaf was falling, as if it had no power and the engines were cutting out non stop. It rolled to the right, as if both engines on the right died out and then the left side rolled. I know the pilots were struggling to keep this plane under control. Again i dont know how experienced these pilots were. I watched the plane struggle to fly under control as it flew over my house. Soon the pilots got it under control and it was flying ok. About a mile or 2 from my house after it passed, i could no longer hear the roaring engines of the crippled flight as it dove towards the ground hitting maximum speed. In a split second, the plane was a fireball about 200 feet into the sky. I: thats awful. Did you run to the crash site? T: i did. I hopped in my car and sped off to the site as quickly as that little car could go to try and get any possible survivors. I got to the site and all that was left of the plane were severed human body parts, and bits and pieces of the fuselage. The smell of burning flesh and of burning fuel was thick in the air. I noticed that pieces were still burning and fuel was all over the place. I had to find survivors (if any) as quick as possible before the whole area caught fire. A few people, about 3, at what looked like the back of the plane were severely injured and had many 3rd degree burns. They were alive, shockingly. Lots had compound fractures and broken bones. I had never seen people this badly injured. Not even at war. I quickly, but gently got them in my car and rushed them to The Valley Hospital. I: that hospital is said to be haunted. Do you believe this? T: it may be now. But it felt like it when i was there. The doctors came right out and took the people into the hospital. After they had been taken in, i called 911 and NTSB, about the crash and drove home. The doctors called me just this morning saying that the survivors i brought in were fighting for their #life but had died. They lost too much blood and the injuries were too severe that even with all they had done, they could not save them. I: the families and the victims of this air disaster will be in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for coming in Tom and sharing. T: not a problem. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers everyone! Goodnight. I loved being here with you all tonight.
