7/16/1999 page 10

 7/16/1999 page 10 by ric gustafson

As John looked at the controls and dials of his Piper Saratoga. Spatial disorientation was beginning. His brain was confused. He wasn't sure what to do. He failed to see the lower left hand corner of the instrument panel. The wings of the plane were not level.

At 9:40 pm, the Piper Saratoga began to descend. As the plane descended toward the ocean, it began picking up speed. The plane began hurtling toward the ocean at 5000 feet per minute. Because the wings were not level, John could not straighten out the plane.

The Piper Saratoga began to turn clockwise like a corkscrew. Pilots called this a ' graveyard spiral'. In their seats, John, Carolyn and Lauren watched as G forces pressed against them. For 15 seconds, they watched in horror as the Piper Saratoga hit the water of the Atlantic Ocean at 99 feet per second.

The End

research help: ' The Day John Died' by Christopher Andersen

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric