UAAG CH93

Seattle, Rogue 318 Temporary Investigation Headquarters.

Inside the empty and spacious factory, a silver-white McFly F485 was parked in the center. Dozens of researchers in lab coats walked up and down continuously, conducting basic data debugging on this plane. When all variable factors were ready, Lawrance, standing in the second-floor laboratory, made an OK gesture through the floor-to-ceiling window to the people below.

Old Joseph, standing on the first floor, returned the gesture. Then, his voice was steady: “Start the experiment.”

With a buzz, the plane started up. The first experiment of the McFly F485’s cruise control system officially began.

For the first three days of the actual aircraft experiment, the investigation headquarters did not conduct a real flight experiment but a “semi” actual aircraft experiment. They simulated relevant data from the day Rogue 318 crashed in the data systems to observe the response strategy of the aircraft’s autopilot system.

Lawrance presented the results of this “semi” actual aircraft experiment at the weekly meeting: “Based on specific meteorological data provided by the Russian Meteorological Bureau, we conducted a total of twenty-one actual aircraft experiments in the laboratory. The results show that 19 times, the McFly F485’s autopilot system reacted to the small ocean frontal wave 30 nautical miles away. 17 times, the plane chose to deviate from the course for a certain distance when the route allowed.”

Old Joseph continued, “This is an incredibly intelligent aircraft. As we all know, it even automatically contacts the control tower and sends a deviation permission code.”

Deputy Director Andrew looked at an NTSB investigator beside him. The latter nodded and said to him, “Because the deviation distance is too short, according to the latest FAA air traffic control protocol, this kind of deviation code does not require manual permission from air traffic control at all; the computer directly approves the deviation permission.”

Lawrance concluded, “So, based solely on the experimental results, Rogue 318 initiated an active right deviation operation because of the distant frontal wave. Up to this point, everything was a reasonable operation by the computer.”

Zhuo Huan pondered for a moment. “When will the actual flight experiment be conducted?”

Old Joseph: “Four days from now. According to the detection by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, at 2 PM four days later, a frontal wave will occur west of Guadalupe Island in the Northeast Pacific Basin. The relevant weather conditions are very close to the Rogue 318 crash five years ago. At that time, we will fly the McFly F485 for a fully simulated test flight experiment.”

Four days later, San Francisco International Airport.

A brand-new McFly F485 was parked steadily at the starting point of the runway. Sunlight shone on it like a sharp sword. The warm winter afternoon sunlight shone through the dark windshield into the cockpit.

Fu Cheng sat in the pilot’s seat. Beside him, in the co-pilot’s seat, sat a person for the first time.

It was a brown-haired American pilot.

This test flight experiment was too important to allow even a trace of error because the ocean climate is unpredictable. No one dared to guarantee whether a similar frontal wave would appear again. When the US Meteorological Bureau detected this frontal wave extremely similar to Rogue 318’s, everyone felt that this might be destiny, ordained by heaven.

Similar location, near the North Pacific waters.

Similar climate, a small ocean frontal wave formed by the collision of two air masses.

If Rogue 318 had been found a month later, they wouldn’t have found such a perfect opportunity.

Perhaps in the unseen world, the 298 souls silent at the bottom of the sea for a full five years also cried out.

All over the world, countless people worked together, moving toward the truth.

So no mistakes were allowed.

Fu Cheng: “Start pre-takeoff checks.”

The co-pilot nodded and opened the aircraft safety manual: “Starting pre-takeoff checks. Navigation lights are on, confirm inertial navigation is on…”

For five minutes of boring and repetitive safety checks, the voices of Fu Cheng and the co-pilot rang out continuously and interchangeably in the quiet cockpit.

This co-pilot’s name was Cade Voss, an extremely excellent US Air Force pilot and an experienced test pilot.

Fu Cheng and Cade already had an extremely deep understanding of the McFly F485, but they didn’t slack off in the slightest. They checked every step carefully. Even if these steps were like adults playing with children’s toys to them, they didn’t treat them lightly.

Checks complete, the two looked at each other.

Fu Cheng spoke calmly and orderly: “Confirm takeoff.”

The plane began to accelerate on the runway.

Its speed became faster and faster, finally leaving the ground steadily with a buzz, heading for the sky. After making a large 180-degree turn in the air, it turned around and headed west, toward the Pacific Basin.

At the same time, in the airport laboratory, hundreds of investigators and experimenters wasted no time.

Lawrance: “Real-time monitoring of all flight data.”

Old Joseph: “Focus on the relevant data of the aircraft’s cruise control system.”

Zhuo Huan stood in front of the command console, looking up at the small green dot on the radar map. Five minutes later, he pressed the communication button with a calm expression.

In the cockpit, the man’s cold and steady voice sounded.

“Cruising altitude.”

Fu Cheng gripped the rudder in his hand and glanced at the dashboard: “29,000 feet.”

Zhuo Huan: “Fully activate the cruise control system.”

Fu Cheng: “Cruise control system activated.”

Zhuo Huan: “You are approaching that frontal wave.”

Fu Cheng: “Yes.”

Zhuo Huan: “35 nautical miles left.”

After his voice fell, there was a long silence.

In the cockpit of the McFly F485, both pilots held their breath, looking at the weather map detected on the aircraft’s weather dashboard. Closer, getting closer.

34 nautical miles left.

33 nautical miles.

32 nautical miles…

It should be 30 nautical miles. However, before waiting for 30 nautical miles, when the plane was 31 nautical miles away from the frontal wave, Fu Cheng’s gaze sharpened, and he quickly turned on the communicator: “The aircraft’s autopilot system has started to turn automatically.”

In the next moment, Zhuo Huan said calmly, “Wait three minutes.”

Fu Cheng and Cade: “Yes.”

Three minutes was the time the two co-pilots on Rogue 318 ignored the plane’s automatic right turn. Because of abdominal pain, co-pilot David couldn’t spare attention to look at the dashboard; because of his companion’s sudden abdominal pain, the other co-pilot William also failed to notice the plane turning immediately. From the time they finally discovered the plane was turning and decided to operate, a total of 2 minutes and 57 seconds passed.

Time passed second by second. When the plane had quietly made a large 35-degree right turn, Cade turned to look at Fu Cheng: “Turn detected.”

Fu Cheng immediately reached out: “Turn off the aircraft’s cruise control system.”

Click—

With a crisp sound, both Fu Cheng and Cade stared fixedly at the aircraft dashboard.

In their eyes, this second became incredibly long.

Fu Cheng seemed to hear his own heart thumping slowly in his chest. He didn’t know what he hoped to see. Easily turning off the cruise control system? Then this experiment would end; he and Cade would face no danger and could easily take over the plane.

But the inability to turn off the cruise control system was the situation Qi Zhifeng, David, and William truly encountered on Rogue 318.

They should have chosen to turn off the cruise control system immediately.

This is common knowledge, extremely basic common knowledge. Any pilot, even one who hasn’t graduated from flight school, should know this most basic common knowledge.

Could the cruise control system be turned off simply? Or did it really malfunction?

A second later, Zhuo Huan looked at the data transmitted from the plane. At the same time, Fu Cheng’s calm voice came from the communication speaker: “Confirm cruise control system turned off, starting manual piloting.”

Closing his eyes briefly, Zhuo Huan sighed softly.

March 16, 2022. The test flight experiment ended.

Zhuo Huan scanned the hundreds of investigators in the conference room and said, “The experiment proves that on the day of the crash, Rogue 318 encountered an ocean frontal wave, and the aircraft’s autopilot system directly chose to deviate to the right.”

Deputy Director Andrew nodded slightly. He said, “This should be the direct cause of the air crash.”

Lawrance: “During the test flight, the pilots easily turned off the cruise control system, so the design cause of the aircraft is ruled out. Then only two possibilities remain. First, pilot operational error. They had a chance to save the plane. Before the plane completely lost control, they had about 30 seconds to save it, and turning off the autopilot system only takes 1 second. The second possibility is aircraft component failure.”

Zhuo Huan looked at Lawrence: “Have the other two black boxes been found?”

Lawrence: “One black box has been recovered and is now sent to McFly Headquarters in Los Angeles for data analysis.”

Zhuo Huan: “When can the plane be salvaged?”

Lawrence’s face changed slightly. He fell silent for a moment, then said helplessly, “Give me another month and a half.”

Zhuo Huan looked at him steadily.

Lawrence pursed his lips and sighed. “Reid, this isn’t something that can be solved by working overtime or spending money. I have already arranged for people to custom-make a giant water tank capable of accommodating an airplane. If you want a broken plane, I can salvage it within seven days. But if you want a complete Rogue 318… give me a month and a half.”

Zhuo Huan looked at him deeply and nodded.

Lawrence breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhuo Huan looked at Old Joseph: “Where is Su Fei?”

Old Joseph laughed: “Of course he went to Los Angeles. By the way, before Fly left, he asked me to pass on a message to you.”

“Hmm?”

“Reid, seven days. He will definitely bring that black box and the data inside back to you completely intact.”

Los Angeles International Airport.

NTSB investigators carried a heavy box and walked in front. The punk teenager followed behind them, arriving at the underground parking lot together.

Staff from the McFly laboratory had been waiting there for a long time.

Su Fei actually recognized the person who came to pick them up. Seeing the blond McFly PR Director Johnny Berkeley, he raised an eyebrow.

Johnny saw them and immediately walked over with a face full of smiles: “Please follow me. The McFly laboratory is ready, just waiting for you.” As he spoke, he looked down at Su Fei and smiled: “Long time no see, Mr. Su.”

“Not that long, more than half a year?” Su Fei thought for a moment: “Last time we came, it seems you weren’t the one picking us up.”

Johnny smiled slightly: “Last time I was on a business trip in Europe. This time I’m in Los Angeles, so I came.”

Su Fei pondered for a moment and felt there was no problem. He looked at the box carried by the NTSB investigator, thinking about the black box inside, and then remembered the test flight experiment Fu Cheng conducted in San Francisco two days ago.

The punk teenager muttered, “Are we really going to find the truth?”

Just like fate.

With the right time, place, and people, the test flight experiment was successfully conducted and yielded very satisfactory results.

It was also like fate.

Lawrence’s salvage company found one of the remaining two black boxes in the deep-sea silt 15 nautical miles from the plane wreckage. And the preservation integrity of this black box was actually better than the first one found. The moment he saw it, Su Fei knew that he could definitely analyze the data in this black box within seven days at most, perhaps even less.

Moreover, this was the main black box installed in the tail of the plane, which recorded almost all the operation data of the aircraft.

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