MICHEAL CRICHTON

Airframe
The Untold Story

Revised by Tayler Reed
The pilot in the F-14 chase plane watched as the big Norton widebody streaked upward
through the clouds, climbing at twenty-one degrees.
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Teddy, he said over the radio. What the hell are you doing?
Just reproducing whats on the flight recorder.
Christ, the pilot said.
The huge passenger jet roared upward, breaking through cloud cover at thirty-one
thousand feet. Going up another thousand feet, before losing speed. Approaching stall.
Then nosed over again.

Jennifer vomited explosively into the bag. It spilled out over her hands, dribbled onto her
lap. She turned to Casey, her face green, weak, and contorted.
Stop it, please
The plane started to nose over again. Going down.
Casey looked at her. Dont you want to reproduce the full event for your cameras? Great
visuals. Two more cycles to go.
No! No
The plane was diving steeply now. Still looking at Jennifer, Casey said, Teddy! Teddy,
take your hands off the controls!
Jennifers eyes widened. Horrified.




End of Crichtons Airframe
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The plane continued to porpoise and dive once more.
Didnt I tell you to let go of the controls! yelled Casey.
A suddenly panicked Teddy replied, I did but the plane wont stop. I think that it is
trying to finish its cycles.
How much more does it have to go? asked Jennifer.
She was starting to feel very lightheaded as if she was going to faint at any second. Why
had she decided to get on this stupid plane in the first place?
It should only have one more cycle to complete, but the monitor is reading much more.
By the look of these numbers, I dont think this plane can handle any more than it already has,
replied Teddy.
He pushed a button on the dashboard of the plane so that he could speak to James, the
pilot in the F-14. James! I dont know what is wrong with the plane! It shouldve stopped its
cycles by now and I cant enable the autopilot! What should I do?
Did you let go of the controls? Every pilot who is trained to fly a commercial twin-jet
knows that the plane will automatically go into autopilot once the pilot releases the controls,
said James. He was very calm, almost too calm for he knew that the situation could be resolved
in an instant.
Of course I tried that! yelled Teddy. Im not stupid you know. Someone must of have
disabled the autopilot on this plane.
Thats ridiculous Teddy! Why would someone do that?
I dont know, but that seems to be the only logical explanation. We dont have much
more time. The plane is slowly breaking apart!
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The walls of the interior cabin started to make creaking noises. It was as if the plane
would split apart at any time. Casey was now more alarmed than ever. She had heard all of
Teddys conversation with James. Who would disable the autopilot on the plane? How would
that even be possible? Suddenly she got an idea; it was as if a lightning bolt had struck her.
Teddy! Are all the systems functioning on the aircraft? asked a curious Casey.
Uh I think so. Actually one of the cables in the back isnt connected. But it would take
so long to find it. We dont have the time, replied Teddy.
A strong breeze was starting to come through the airplane. That could only mean one
thing. The planes insulation was wearing away. The cabin door to the wing was also leaning
back. Casey was worried that it would open and everyone aboard would be sucked out like the
accident on the famous Aloha 737. She knew that she had to solve this problem and it had to be
fast too. Casey remembered the different locations of the cables that connected to the autopilot
from when she searched for the QAR.
I think I know where the cable is that would enable the autopilot! said Casey anxiously.
Casey, it is dangerous for you to roam around the plane. I cant let you do this. You
have a daughter who cant lose her mother, said Teddy.
Would you rather me fix this plane or sit here and watch us die? replied Casey. She
was happy that Teddy cared about her. He never showed this kind of public affection for her
before. He was always a guy that kept his feelings to himself. However, she had already set in
her mind that she would try to fix the N-22 before it was too late.
Be careful, said Teddy as he looked at her through the monitor. I love you.
I love you too, said Casey. She was happy that he said those three words to her, but at
the same time she was upset that he decided to say it when they were about to die.
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Casey looked back at Jennifer to see how she was holding up. She found out the reason
why she was quiet all this time; Jennifer had fainted. Slowly Casey unbuckled her seat belt and
climbed out of the seat. The plane was flying upward, so she had to prepare herself for the
sudden dive that it would make. Casey walked to the first place she remembered that the QAR
couldve been located. It was a small storage compartment that had been built into the bulkhead
frame. The plane was starting to dive forward. Casey quickly got on her knees and held onto the
bottom of the passenger seat. While on the ground she looked at the compartment to see if the
red cables for the autopilot were located there. To her dismay they werent.
After the plane had completed that cycle it began the next one and started to climb
steeply again. Casey stayed on her knees and crawled up the aisle of the plane. She was heading
toward the tail, to the aft interior storage compartment. Casey crawled so fast that she reached
the compartment before the plane nosed over. She got off the floor and quickly looked at the
square service panel. A bright red cable was hanging out. The exit door to the left of her was
violently shaking. Casey had to find the outlet to the cable before the door opened. The plane
began its dive and Casey fell backwards, hitting her body against the hard seats. She felt a sharp
pain all over her body, but she knew that she couldnt give up this easily.
Babe, are you alright, yelled Teddy.
Ill be fine. I cant give up now that Ive found the cable, said Casey as she got up off
the floor and limbed back towards the panel. She analyzed everything on the panel. There were
breaker switches for the cabin lights and the crew intercom. She reached for the red cable and
tried to figure out which outlet was for the autopilot. There were so many buttons on the panel
that it was overwhelming. She finally decided that the outlet labeled Autopilot Power was the
right one. Casey speedily put the cable into the outlet then suddenly the plane jerked. The quick
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movement caused her to lose her footing. Casey fell hard against the wall of the panel and hit her
head. At that moment everything went blank.

Casey woke up to a dim hospital room. There was a tight bandage wrapped around her
head and a long IV dangling from her arm. She looked over the edge of her hospital bed to find
Teddy sitting in a chair. He noticed that she finally awoke and got up from his seat.
Teddy, what happened? asked Casey.
What happened is that youre a hero! After you went unconscious, the plane leveled out
and we were able to land safely. It turns out that you were right about your theory the other
night. Richman did fool around on the plane. He confessed not too long ago about how he and
Marder sabotaged the plane so that we would lose the China sale. If the plane crashed it
wouldve proved that the N-22 is an unsafe aircraft and then they would have made the sixteen
billion dollar deal with Korea, said an excited Teddy.
Wow! I knew it! I assume they have been arrested? said Casey.
Oh yeah! We are talking a big time sentence! But dont worry about that, there is
someone in the hallway who is eager to see you.
Casey was overjoyed to see Allison walk in the room. She hugged her daughter and for
that moment in time she was content because the two people she loved were there with her.