Andrew’s jaw tightened.
“If that gear folds when we touch down, we could leave the runway.”
Laura placed her hands on the secondary controls.
“I’ll back you up.”
“You’ve never landed this type of airliner.”
“No.”
Laura stared toward the runway.
“But I know how to keep an aircraft straight when systems start failing.”
The jet crossed the runway threshold.
The wheels struck the pavement.
For one terrifying second, the aircraft tilted toward the right.
The questionable landing gear groaned beneath the enormous weight.
Laura immediately compensated with rudder and asymmetric thrust.
Andrew kept the nose aligned.
Then a loud mechanical clunk echoed beneath them.
The landing gear lock finally engaged.
Reverse thrust roared.
The aircraft slowed.
Seconds later, it came to a complete stop.
Behind the cockpit door, nearly three hundred passengers erupted into applause, crying and cheering at once.
Laura remained silent.
She knew the emergency had ended.
