The plane pitched forward again and Katie grabbed the dash. “Hang on. If worse comes to worse, we’ve got a parachute, remember?”
“Parachute?” She shot him a look of sheer terror.
“There’s one built in on the plane. I’d need to take it up to a higher altitude though to release it.” And then the chute could drag them out into the ocean and he’d have no more control over anything. “But I don’t need to do that. I can land us, just hang on.”
It was taking all of his strength and skill to keep the plane level, adjusting the trim as he flew.
“Mayday, this is N125MK, a Cirrus SR22. I have an emergency and need to land.”
Silence.
Finally, “This is Charleston Approach. I see you on the radar. There’s no place where you can immediately land.”
Daniel adjusted the trim and power again, pulled the control wheel, and continued to descend. “You don’t understand. I either find a place to land or we’re going to crash. I have no control over the elevator. I’m using power and trim to land. Got it?”
Silence. Then, “Got it.” The radio crackled. He was getting out of range. “I’m looking. The only place . . . on . . . beach.”
“Which beach?”
“Cape . . . a . . . beach that’s about five miles long.”
“Which beach?”
Nothing but static. He switched frequencies. “Mayday. I have an emergency. I need to land.”
More silence on the radio. His head pounded and his eyes blurred. He blinked and the instrument panel swam back into focus.
He looked out of the window. “I’m going down on that beach right there.”
“Which one?”
“The long one.” He spoke into the microphone again. “Mayday, I’ve got an emergency, can you hear me?” He gave his coordinates. “I’m going down on the beach.” He shot a glance at Katie. “You see any people down there?” he asked.
She craned her neck. “No, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.”
“Hopefully they’ll move. I think that’s Cape Island. If so . . . what’s today?” He adjusted the stick, then the trim and power once more. The plane lowered and stayed level, with the nose slightly up.
“Um . . . Saturday. I think.”
“Saturday. Cape Island.” He moved the throttle and then returned his hand to the stick. “The ferry that brings the tourists over only operates on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.”
“And you know this why?”
“Field trip with my mother when I was in high school. I see the beach area.” Daniel continued the battle with the plane. “I can’t hold it much longer. We’re going to be on the beach,” he said into the headset. “Hopefully, the chilly weather is keeping people away.”
He grunted and worked the trim more, keeping the nose of the plane up. Katie remained silent, but he caught a glimpse of her white-knuckled fingers gripping the armrest. The aircraft bucked and jerked and Katie watched him, eyes wide, lips tight. “It’ll be all right,” he said. “Just hang on. It won’t be the smoothest landing I’ve ever made.”
“Just as long as we’re in one piece at the end of it.”
“That’s the plan.” He tried the radio once more and got no one. Too low to the ground to get a radio signal and no one else in the vicinity. Great.
He only had one shot at this. The beach came closer. He had the wheels down. Using the parachute that came with the plane wouldn’t work this close to the ground. He had stayed low on purpose to allow Katie to see the ground, follow the route, enjoy the view. Now he was going to have to land with a faulty elevator. No flaps, as they might induce more pitching moments that he had no time to countermand. He worked the trim, kept the nose slightly tilted to the sky, and made a beeline to the beach. Only the nose began to tilt down and he wasn’t exactly sure how much trim and power to apply to lift it. “Ease the seat back.”
“What?”
“The seat has a power button, move it back now. Fast.”
She did and the plane leveled back out, the nose slightly up once again. He’d had her shift the seat in order to change the center of gravity for the plane.
The wheels touched down. Bounced. He pulled the control stick, then pushed it forward slightly. Adjusted the throttle. He hit the hard-packed sand once again and pressed the brakes. The plane bounced and shook but slowed. And finally came to a stop in the middle of the beach with the waves lapping the wheels. And not a soul in sight.
Daniel took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief prayer of thanks.
He opened the doors and got out, his legs shaky, muscles tight, as he landed on the sand. Katie crawled over to the pilot’s side and he helped her down.
She stepped into the circle of his arms and clasped him around his waist. “You did it.”
He held her close, relishing the feeling of being alive—and having her in his arms. “Yes. I did, but I shouldn’t have had to.”
She let go of him and he missed her. “What happened?” she asked. “You did the preflight check and, knowing you, you were careful.”
“Of course I was. I don’t know what happened, but I’m going to find out.”