Rick Mofina - Free Fall

Copilot: “We’ve got a double engine failure! The engines have been switched off!”

Captain: “Switched off? How? We didn’t do that! Try restarting!”

“My concern,” Al-Rashid said, “is that aspect about the switching off of the engines-specifically when the captain says, ‘We didn’t do that.’ This might point to a problem linked to the threat.”

Cashill stabbed the table with the end of his pen.

“This is nothing but a distraction. Look, our preliminary review of EastCloud points to clear-air turbulence and a pilot disabling the flight-management’s safety features to deal with it, resulting in the overcontrol of the aircraft. The pilot had an antidepressant in his blood and was embroiled in a personal family crisis at the time of the flight. Those are facts, and an absurd claim by Zarathustra, Lord of the Heavens, to a reporter in an email has no bearing on them.”

“But, sir-” Al-Rashid said.

“Let me finish. These emails are a distraction diverting us from the real facts here with your airline. And let’s be candid, your maintenance history with this plane has been sloppy. For starters…” Cashill tapped his pen to the table to underscore each point. “Tools left in the aircraft. Rivets improperly replaced in the underbelly. Maintenance logs incomplete. And the topper here everyone seems to have missed-improper replacement parts used in the flight-management electrical system.”

“Mr. Cashill, without question, we-” Al-Rashid nodded to the other Kuwaiti experts “-accept and acknowledge your observations. However, my point, in relation to the two emails, is we must take into account the history of assertions by cyber experts that the computer systems used by new commercial jetliners can be hacked.”

Cashill shook his head.

“We’ve all been over this a hundred times. Those claims have been knocked down before by the NTSB, the FAA, the AAIB, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the European Aviation Safety Agency and many others, because it’s not possible to wirelessly interfere with flight-certified hardware. And we know the Richlon-Titan system has safety features that can be manually disabled, allowing the crew to manually direct the aircraft to perform beyond programmed safety limits. However, that system has some half a dozen safeguards to protect against a system failure, the loss of electrical power, or the malfunction of any of the onboard computers, which run on a stand-alone network. They can’t be hacked. We really need to move on here.”

In the tense moment that passed, investigators made notes or studied pages from their folders.

“Thank you, Bill and Waleed, for the informative debate. I think all points have to be considered as we move forward,” Taylor said.

The AAIB engineers turned to the topic of engines. As they debated theories, Hooper could not silence the alarm ringing in a back corner of his mind because he agreed one hundred percent with the Kuwaitis.

The threats raise real concerns.

And Hooper couldn’t dismiss them. With both the Shikra and EastCloud flights there had been a sudden malfunction and a sudden failure. In both cases, they appeared to have surprised the crew.

That formed the basis of a disturbing pattern.

Was it interference?

Hooper flipped through his folder, and began drawing circles on his pad, something he did as he fell into a deep thought.

What if, just for a moment, we consider that somehow, somewhere, someone discovered a point of vulnerability in Richlon-Titan’s fly-by-wire system? What if they found a wireless jump point or a back door into the system? Was it possible to override the plane’s security software and gain access to the flight-critical system?

Hooper felt a chill coil up his spine.

What if it is possible?

Manhattan, New York

Old men played Chinese chess at the tables of Columbus Park in Manhattan’s Chinatown while not far off, a group of senior citizens practiced Tai Chi.

Strategy and strength. That’s what I need .

As Kate watched, she felt her story slipping away.

It had been two days since she’d returned from London. In that time, she’d reconnected with her family, giving Grace, Vanessa and Nancy the souvenirs she’d bought for them in England. Kate had kept her promise and had taken Grace shopping for her new pink shoes.

Wait ’til Amber sees these! Thank you, Mommy! Thank you!

But with each passing moment since she’d got back, the story spun through Kate’s subconscious. Gut instinct told her that the London tragedy, the EastCloud flight and the Zarathustra email were connected. But she couldn’t go with the story until she could get an official to acknowledge it.

Or could prove it herself.

Chuck was right to demand on-the-record confirmation. Given the magnitude of the story, more was at stake than Newslead’s credibility. The impact it would have on the airline industry would be huge. It was clear to Kate that Newslead could not risk anything short of an airtight item.

But since London, she was getting nowhere, and her frustration was growing, a problem exacerbated after her encounters in the newsroom this morning-first, with Sloane.

“Welcome back, Kate. Read your stuff out of London. Looks like your jaunt there was a bust,” he’d said. “It’s like I told you, there’s no link between Heathrow and the LaGuardia plane. Different aircraft and different airline. Just a tragic coincidence.”

“On what grounds do you come to that conclusion?”

“My sources in the industry and my read of things,” he said. “Look, now the British tabloids are reporting that Shikra Airlines had a history of maintenance issues with its doomed jet.”

“So? That’s speculation.”

“And let’s face it, it looks more and more like that Buffalo incident was pilot error and your fan mail was from a whack job.”

“What I don’t get, Sloane, is why you’re so quick to dismiss these events.”

Before he answered, Reeka approached them and addressed Kate.

“I’m going to talk to Chuck. If your airline story’s fizzled I’m going to give you other assignments. We can’t be wasting time and resources.”

Fortunately, Chuck had come over, picked up the tail end of Reeka’s comment and intervened.

“I think we need to keep Kate on this. We’re a long way from folding the tent on this one.”

When Reeka left, Chuck turned to Kate and said, “You’ve done good work, but I need you to break something on this soon. Build on what you learned in London. I know you can do it.”

At that point Kate launched another offensive, sending urgent, desperate messages to every source she had, begging them for help. It was Nick Varner who’d finally responded and suggested a private meeting at Columbus Park.

But he was already twenty minutes late and Kate’s heart was sinking.

Come on, Nick. Don’t leave me hanging like this.

She scanned the park and her phone vibrated with a text from Erich, one of her sources, a brilliant young cyber consultant. She only knew him by his first name, although she was aware he was known as “Viper” in his world. Erich was a cryptic, shadowy figure who’d done contract work for the CIA and the NSA. He’d helped her in the past and he was good.

Just finished a job in New Zealand. Been reading your stories and will help if I can when I get back to NY.

Encouraged, Kate exhaled.

This is good. I could use his expertise.

Kate thanked him, took solace in his promise and watched the fluid, calming ballet of the Tai Chi group.

“Hey, Kate.”

She turned to Nick Varner, who sat beside her.