Some screamed.
Others grabbed their seats or held onto the people beside them.
The flight crew worked to maintain calm while Jason concentrated on the controls.
He knew there was a critical decision ahead.
Could he turn back?
Could he reach the main airport?
Or would attempting to do so put everyone aboard at even greater risk?
The aircraft was losing altitude.
Time was running out.
The Search for a Landing Site
Jason scanned the landscape below.
He needed somewhere long and open enough to give the damaged aircraft a chance to land.
The main airport was no longer an easy option.
Reaching it would require maintaining sufficient altitude and control for the remainder of the journey, and Jason could not be certain the aircraft would remain stable long enough to make it.
He looked for alternatives.
The landscape below was unforgiving.
There were rough patches of ground, isolated areas, and a large, desolate lake.
