Why I Wrote Flight 987

Why I Wrote Flight 987 — And Why I’m Ready to Share It

For as long as I can remember, I've lived two lives: one in the air and one in my head.

The one in the air has lent me a gripping understanding of humanity. If you want to meet someone's authentic self, put them on the airplane. You will see the gamut of absolute kindness, empathy, and raw emotion you might not want to see.

The other life, the one in my head, has been whispering stories to me for years.

The idea for Flight 987 came to me on takeoff during a long roll and a steep ascent. I had just had a preflight briefing with the captain. This was post 9/11. Everyone's nerves were pushed to the limit. The captain spoke of various possible scenarios, in case of a cockpit breach, that might give him time to land the plane. It was a bit shocking, but they seemed like viable possibilities, and many of these conversations were taking place since we were all on edge.

Keep in mind we had been traumatized as a nation and as a world, and the thought of being slammed into the ground or a building was everyone's concern. A few weeks later, I was thinking about a 'plan,' and I asked myself: what if there was no threat on the airplane? What if it was something personal? What would make a pilot do something like that?

Keep in mind the pilots I work with are the best of the best. If I generalize, I could say that they are family men and women who spend a lot of time talking about home and the people that make up their home. I can honestly say I have never ever felt unsafe in their hands.

So, what would push someone to that extreme? The only thing I could come up with was 'to save their family from some dire issue.

I had just read an article in the New York Post about a teenager who had just survived a five-organ transplant due to a chronic intestinal disease that robbed her organs of oxygen and nutrients.

It hit me that something so traumatic could be the catalyst that pushed someone over the edge. A sick family member with too few minutes to stay on earth. That could make someone desperate. Is that desperate enough? What if the whole family was dying? Would that be enough?

That was the beginning of Flight 987.