UAAG CH94

In the early morning of June 13, 2016, Hawaiian time, while flying over the North Pacific, Rogue 318 encountered a frontal wave 30 nautical miles away, detected by its weather radar. The aircraft’s autopilot system judged that there was a certain flight risk, so it automatically made a “right turn” selection.

An apparently very normal action, not a big mistake. The pilots only needed to notice that the plane was turning and cooperate with the autopilot system to perform the correct operation, and they could continue flying normally. But due to the pitch-black sky late at night and the endless dark night over the ocean, coupled with one pilot’s sudden abdominal pain, neither of the two pilots on duty at the time noticed the change in the aircraft’s autopilot system immediately, missing the optimal time.

But even so, this plane was far from the point of crashing.

According to speculations based on the recording from the first black box found, the three pilots on Rogue 318 had 30 seconds to perform the shutdown operation on the autopilot system and take over control of the aircraft.

But they didn’t turn off the autopilot system.

The cockpit recording was damaged, and the voice recording during those 30 seconds was blank. So everything that followed was left to the machine.

Su Fei walked into the car arranged by McFly with his hands in his pockets. He said to Johnny, the McFly PR Director beside him, “From the outside, this black box isn’t severely damaged. As long as we read the data inside, we’ll know what exactly the pilots were doing during those 30 seconds. Hey, tell me, we shouldn’t be so unlucky that the data from exactly those 30 seconds is damaged again, right? Surely not.”

Johnny smiled. “I believe God is also on our side. By the way, Mr. Su, I heard that the investigation headquarters already has some speculations about the accident.”

Su Fei was stunned, his eyes rolling. “You heard that from Lawrance?”

Johnny smiled without speaking.

Su Fei said helplessly, “Then don’t say that in front of RIP. Oh, RIP is Reid. I always call him RIP. RIP is a very serious person and treats such matters very seriously. Unless there is key evidence, he will absolutely not draw a conclusion, nor allow others to draw conclusions. However, I think what we can rule out now is the aircraft design problem. That leaves pilot operational error and component problems. I also heard that the NTSB has long had speculations; they feel it’s extremely likely a component problem.”

Johnny sighed with emotion. “Logically speaking, a new plane wouldn’t be like this. Rogue 318 was only delivered three months prior.”

Su Fei chuckled and winked. “Are you sure your new planes were checked properly when they left the factory? No problems at all?”

Johnny’s face suddenly darkened, and he said word by word seriously, “Mr. Su, please do not doubt this point. McFly’s planes are absolutely manufactured meticulously in accordance with FAA safety protocols. There are no quality issues whatsoever.”

Su Fei muttered, “I was just saying.”

Actually, Su Fei was really just saying it casually. In fact, even if the NTSB investigators speculated that the cause of the accident might be a component problem, they never thought McFly’s planes had quality problems. Because facts proved that among the planes delivered in the same batch as Rogue 318, not a single one had problems.

Besides that, Rogue Airlines had an air crash six years ago due to improper maintenance, and the crashed plane at that time was a Boeing 747.

McFly’s aircraft quality has always been a leader among peers. Because they started by making military aircraft, their control over aircraft quality is extremely strict. For the production specifications of certain components, they even directly adopt military aircraft standards.

The NTSB investigator got into the car and carefully placed the box containing the black box on the car seat. Su Fei glanced back, and suddenly a strange thought surfaced in his mind. After thinking about it, he took out his phone and sent a message to Fu Cheng.

[Su Fei: Brother Fu, I feel the truth might be hidden in this black box.]

A few seconds later, Fu Cheng replied.

[Fu Cheng: You arrived in Los Angeles?]

The punk teenager got excited. He simply held the phone with both hands and typed rapidly, chatting with Fu Cheng.

After resting for a night in Los Angeles, early the next morning, Su Fei rushed to McFly’s laboratory to read the data of this black box with the McFly Research Institute.

Just as Su Fei estimated, God was really on their side.

This most important black box was not severely damaged, and the vast majority of the data was preserved intact.

On the third day after arriving in Los Angeles, the group read out 50% of the data information. By the sixth day, only the last bit of data information remained unread. But no one dared to slack off. Who knew which data was the most critical? Perhaps this last 1% could solve the mystery of Rogue 318’s crash into the sea.

Staying up from 1 AM until 9 AM the next morning, Su Fei sat in front of the computer and entered the last line of code.

His finger pressed the “enter” key with a click, reading the aircraft thrust target value data.

The punk teenager stared unblinkingly at the computer screen. When the data reading was completed, he slapped the table: “Holy shit, done!”

With his movement, the swivel chair slid backward while turning a large 180-degree curve. Su Fei had stayed up all night, but his spirit was extremely high, and his brain was incredibly clear. He stretched, but before his arms were fully extended, his eyes widened, looking in surprise at the four people standing behind him. Rubbing his eyes, Su Fei said, “…What the fuck? When did you guys arrive?”

Old Joseph said with a smile, “Not long ago, just when you were cursing ‘how could my code possibly be wrong’.”

Su Fei: “…”

With a humph, Su Fei asked, “Why did you guys come? I already booked a flight back to Seattle for this afternoon.”

Fu Cheng: “Data reading finished?”

Su Fei patted the table. “Of course.”

Zhuo Huan said indifferently, “All of it?”

Su Fei: “Absolutely, one hundred percent!”

Zhuo Huan: “Hmm? No loss?”

Su Fei: “…Just a tiny bit. The landing gear data might be missing a little. But Rogue 318 couldn’t have crashed because of a landing gear problem.”

Zhuo Huan: “Open it and let’s see.”

As his voice fell, the laboratory was silent.

Su Fei’s face darkened. He was silent for a moment, nodded slightly, and turned back to look at the computer.

Not only him, but in the laboratory, the McFly researchers who had stayed up all night, the NTSB investigators, and the four UAAG members who rushed from Seattle all looked up silently at the projection screen.

With a crisp sound of the door opening, the automatic sensor door of the laboratory opened.

Fu Cheng looked back and saw an old man with gray hair and a solemn face walking in with big strides, keeping a straight face.

It was McFly’s current chief designer, Thor Rayner.

He entered the laboratory without a word, didn’t say anything, just stood behind the crowd and looked up at the huge projection screen.

Su Fei: “Then I’ll release all the data?”

Zhuo Huan: “Mn.”

With a soft click of the mouse, dense data instantly appeared on the big screen, capturing everyone’s attention.

Among the dozens of people present, not everyone could process so much information at once. Even Old Joseph, who had rich investigation experience, and Fu Cheng, who was proficient in all active aircraft models, couldn’t do it.

But Fu Cheng knew there were two people in this room who could do it.

One was Zhuo Huan.

One was Thor Rayner.

From hundreds of data points, finding the most critical and important one at a glance. Then grabbing it and finding the truth.

Zhuo Huan’s voice was calm: “Rule out pilot operational error.”

After he finished speaking, everyone found the critical data curve he mentioned.

—In the last four minutes before the plane crashed, the three pilots had been trying hard to turn off the autopilot system.

Data doesn’t lie.

Within those 30 seconds where control was possible, they tried four times. Turning it off again and again, restarting and turning it off again and again. However, this plane did not obey their commands. The plane continued to rotate to the right, eventually heading towards the uncontrollable abyss.

Zhuo Huan’s phone rang. He quickly said to Su Fei, “Isolate and separate all the data from those 30 seconds,” and then strode out of the laboratory to answer the call.

Fu Cheng stood in the center of the laboratory. He stared fixedly at the data curve recording the autopilot system. After a long time, he closed his eyes briefly, turned, and left.

McFly Laboratory was not unfamiliar to Fu Cheng.

Half a year ago, he had stayed here with Zhuo Huan for two months. commissioned by McFly, they helped improve the landing gear of the McFly F475.

Standing on the balcony outside the laboratory, Fu Cheng gazed at the undulating mountain curves in the distance. He took a light drag on his cigarette and suddenly felt extremely calm.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you smoke, Fu.”

A smiling female voice sounded from behind. Fu Cheng turned to look.

After extinguishing the half-smoked cigarette and throwing it into the trash can beside him, Fu Cheng asked, “Why did you come out, Lina?”

Lina smiled. “Su Fei and Old Joseph are busy with data separation. I don’t seem to be able to help much, so I came out for some fresh air? Are you out for fresh air too?”

Fu Cheng: “Mn.”

Lina walked over, her tone gentle; she seemed to be in a good mood. “A long time ago, when I heard Reid say you smoke, I was a little surprised. But what surprised me more was why Reid would specifically mention this. Although you don’t look like someone who likes smoking—I mean, you look very much like that kind of top student who has been well-behaved since childhood—you are an adult, so smoking isn’t a problem. Why would Reid have such a deep impression of this matter?”

Fu Cheng looked at her. “What do you think?”

Lina smiled and didn’t answer this question, but said, “Since pilot issues are ruled out, only component issues remain, right?”

Fu Cheng: “Mn.”

Lina: “I have great confidence in McFly’s quality control. I think after today, Reid should be able to get a good sleep.” She turned to look at Fu Cheng. “You should know, Reid has severe neurasthenia.”

Fu Cheng recalled for a moment. “I know. In recent months, this condition has improved a bit, but sometimes, he still wakes up in the middle of the night.”

Lina: “Reid didn’t have this problem before.”

After a silence, Fu Cheng said, “Because of Rogue 318?”

Lina laughed. “Yes, because of Rogue 318.”

The two looked at each other and smiled, gazing together at the rolling mountains in the distance.

Fu Cheng had known about Zhuo Huan’s neurasthenia long ago, even before they got together.

This man had trouble falling asleep. He was sensitive to the extreme; a slight noise or movement could wake him up. He was like a fragile glass artifact, exquisite and magnificent, yet unbearably fragile. Dreams were not a peaceful destination, but a boundless nightmare.

Later, after the two got together, Zhuo Huan’s neurasthenia improved somewhat, but it still wasn’t completely cured.

Fu Cheng had never actively asked, but perhaps there was no need to ask at all; he just knew.

It was because of Rogue 318.

Just as Zhuo Huan said, from beginning to end, he always felt that it had nothing to do with the pilots; the true cause of this air crash was this plane.

That was his intuition as an aircraft designer.

He was afraid that there was a problem with the plane he designed. Every day and every night, every minute and every second, as long as there were McFly F485s flying in the sky, he couldn’t sleep at night.

Those weren’t planes; they were ticking time bombs. Installed on his heart, silently counting down, but covered by a cloth. The ticking sound of numbers could be heard, but the hidden numbers couldn’t be seen.

Maybe it was infinity, maybe just one second.

And now, he finally obtained relief.

Fu Cheng: “Rogue 318’s captain, Qi Zhifeng, was my teacher.”

Lina was slightly stunned and turned to look at him. After a while, “Mn, I found out by accident before.” Lina smiled helplessly. “Fu, I don’t like prying into friends’ privacy casually, but unfortunately, the NTSB isn’t like that. Last month, Lawrance told me in surprise that you and Captain Qi actually had such a connection. So I remembered something…”

“Fu, I’m sorry. I apologize to you for my remarks a year ago.”

A year ago, shortly after Fu Cheng arrived at UAAG, in Lina’s villa, he mentioned Rogue 318 in front of Zhuo Huan for the first time.

At that time, Lina casually stated a speculation about this inconclusive air crash, believing it was pilot suicide.

This was the prevailing view of public opinion at the time.

Fu Cheng looked at her. “It’s okay.”

Lina: “Fu?”

Under the rising morning sun, the young man slowly smiled at her.

“Not just you, actually I should apologize to him too.”

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