On this site, there are more passengers accounts of what happened...
http://avherald.com/h?article=418bfa0e&opt=512
To- Victor O and your fiance...I am so very sorry!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Surviving Allegiant Flight 507 From Vegas to Fresno
It's been almost 48 hours since I got off of the plane flight 507 from Vegas to Fresno. I am home now safe, happy to be alive with a fresh perspective on life.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Getting ready to leave Las Vegas after Ashley's first trip. Here's what's saved in my phone from the text messages I sent to Gary:
5:57 pm - Boarding Now
6:01 pm - On Plane
6:48 pm- Something is wrong...I am serious
6:50 pm - I love you
Looking back over these times...I realize we were almost home when one of the two plane engines exploded! I heard the BOOM and it felt like something had hit the plane even though we were still in the air. I looked out...it looked like we were perfectly still over the mountains. All you could see were mountains..no flat land...no city...no houses...no cars...no roads....just mountains.
The flight attendants had just started drink/snack service when the engine went out. They had passed our seats 7E/7F maybe 3 minutes before. I knew it was extremely serious when they began to RUN (as quickly as you can on a plane) back to their own seats, putting the cart away and then strapping themselves in. For maybe 5-10 minutes we sat without a word about what was happening. Then one of the attendants - Jasmin came onto the PA and announced the Pilot has indicated that we would be returning to Las Vegas for landing in 20 minutes. OMG
Ashley started to panic....freaking out....asking if we were going to die! I didn't know myself and all I could say (lie) was "it's okay" - "it will be okay." In her state of panic, Ashley started to get out of her seat so Jasmin came over to address her. Jasmin was scared herself...you could see her pulse jumping out of her neck. She assured us everything would be ok. However, when asked if we would be landing safely...she answered "safety is always our number one priority"...clearly a textbook answer.
So we sat....helpless....time passes slowly...
The pilot then informs us that one of the two engines has failed and we would be returning to Las Vegas.
The plane was silent...except for sobbing....even the other flight attendant was in her seat crying but trying to be calm. I had to look away to avoid seeing her fear in her eyes. I remember thinking...this is bad...she's as scared as we are.
A young girl seated next to me (Shelley) was alone on the flight and I offered her my hand. There I sat in between Ashley and a stranger scared and worried - trying to remain calm.
At some point, I began to consider this would be my last moments in life. When presented with such a situation you have to consider death as a real and near possibility. It's really hard to explain and put into words. All I knew was there was something wrong, everyone was scared and we might not make it back to the landing strip in one piece. I had to fully accept that I would never see Gary, Ryan or Toni again and that was ALL I could think about as I prayed for a second a chance to live.
The return flight and landing was rough to say the least! I felt every bump and turn like no turbulence I've ever felt on a flight before.
Finally, we were getting closer and began to see houses...remnants of Las Vegas. Then the airport emerged and we approached just hovering over the nearby houses. I felt like I could reach out and touch them. I could see the fire engines waiting for us...not knowing if we were already on fire or going to be upon landing.
Then another BOOM....and hard THUD as we HIT the very end of the runway!
APPLAUSE!!! APPLAUSE!!! APPLAUSE!!!!
At this moment the entire flight passengers and crew were unified in our thankfulness to be alive.
We approached a gate and exited the plane at 7:31 pm (longer than 20 minutes after the engine failure) The pilot let us know it was due to a mechanical failure, apologized and explained although rare it does happen unfortunately.
The phrase it's a "one in a million" chance of a plane crashing/ engine failure/malfunction etc. echoed throughout the airport. I'm here to say that phrase is not comforting when you were on the "one in a million" flights which in this case was Allegiant flight 507 from Las Vegas to Fresno.
I agree with Ashley when she said on our drive home with Shelley in tow "It's like we are plane crash survivors because we went through every feeling and emotion that they would minus the crash..."
Celebrate Life!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Getting ready to leave Las Vegas after Ashley's first trip. Here's what's saved in my phone from the text messages I sent to Gary:
5:57 pm - Boarding Now
6:01 pm - On Plane
6:48 pm- Something is wrong...I am serious
6:50 pm - I love you
Looking back over these times...I realize we were almost home when one of the two plane engines exploded! I heard the BOOM and it felt like something had hit the plane even though we were still in the air. I looked out...it looked like we were perfectly still over the mountains. All you could see were mountains..no flat land...no city...no houses...no cars...no roads....just mountains.
The flight attendants had just started drink/snack service when the engine went out. They had passed our seats 7E/7F maybe 3 minutes before. I knew it was extremely serious when they began to RUN (as quickly as you can on a plane) back to their own seats, putting the cart away and then strapping themselves in. For maybe 5-10 minutes we sat without a word about what was happening. Then one of the attendants - Jasmin came onto the PA and announced the Pilot has indicated that we would be returning to Las Vegas for landing in 20 minutes. OMG
Ashley started to panic....freaking out....asking if we were going to die! I didn't know myself and all I could say (lie) was "it's okay" - "it will be okay." In her state of panic, Ashley started to get out of her seat so Jasmin came over to address her. Jasmin was scared herself...you could see her pulse jumping out of her neck. She assured us everything would be ok. However, when asked if we would be landing safely...she answered "safety is always our number one priority"...clearly a textbook answer.
So we sat....helpless....time passes slowly...
The pilot then informs us that one of the two engines has failed and we would be returning to Las Vegas.
The plane was silent...except for sobbing....even the other flight attendant was in her seat crying but trying to be calm. I had to look away to avoid seeing her fear in her eyes. I remember thinking...this is bad...she's as scared as we are.
A young girl seated next to me (Shelley) was alone on the flight and I offered her my hand. There I sat in between Ashley and a stranger scared and worried - trying to remain calm.
At some point, I began to consider this would be my last moments in life. When presented with such a situation you have to consider death as a real and near possibility. It's really hard to explain and put into words. All I knew was there was something wrong, everyone was scared and we might not make it back to the landing strip in one piece. I had to fully accept that I would never see Gary, Ryan or Toni again and that was ALL I could think about as I prayed for a second a chance to live.
The return flight and landing was rough to say the least! I felt every bump and turn like no turbulence I've ever felt on a flight before.
Finally, we were getting closer and began to see houses...remnants of Las Vegas. Then the airport emerged and we approached just hovering over the nearby houses. I felt like I could reach out and touch them. I could see the fire engines waiting for us...not knowing if we were already on fire or going to be upon landing.
Then another BOOM....and hard THUD as we HIT the very end of the runway!
APPLAUSE!!! APPLAUSE!!! APPLAUSE!!!!
At this moment the entire flight passengers and crew were unified in our thankfulness to be alive.
We approached a gate and exited the plane at 7:31 pm (longer than 20 minutes after the engine failure) The pilot let us know it was due to a mechanical failure, apologized and explained although rare it does happen unfortunately.
The phrase it's a "one in a million" chance of a plane crashing/ engine failure/malfunction etc. echoed throughout the airport. I'm here to say that phrase is not comforting when you were on the "one in a million" flights which in this case was Allegiant flight 507 from Las Vegas to Fresno.
I agree with Ashley when she said on our drive home with Shelley in tow "It's like we are plane crash survivors because we went through every feeling and emotion that they would minus the crash..."
Celebrate Life!
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