TJ Madsen is among the founding members of the New Herald Tribune and chairs the editorial board. He worked for national syndicated newspapers in Newark, Philadelphia, and Baltimore before moving to the midwest.
May 22 , 2024
SINGAPORE - A Singapore Airlines flight from New Delhi to Los Angeles experienced severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, causing the aircraft to plummet thousands of feet before Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks took control of the crippled plane and safely landed it at a remote airport in the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Flight 286 with 263 passengers and crew aboard was four hours into its journey when it encountered unexpected and extremely rough air around 35,000 feet over the Indian Ocean, according to Singapore Airlines officials and passengers' accounts. The Boeing 777 violently dropped more than 15,000 feet in just a few minutes, causing crew members to be tossed around the cabin and temporarily knocking out both pilots.
With the plane out of control and headed for a catastrophic crash into the ocean, Hanks, who was returning home after filming a movie in India, sprung into action. The two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor took over the controls and managed to regain control of the stricken aircraft after a harrowing 10 minute struggle.
"The plane started shaking like a rag doll and then went into a freefall," said Hanks. "Oxygen masks dropped down and people were screaming and crying. When I saw the cockpit crew was incapacitated, I knew I had to do something."
Hanks, an avid pilot who has owned a Cessna jet for years, utilized his flying experience to pull up the nose and stop the plane's plummet just a few thousand feet from striking the ocean. He then navigated the damaged 777 over 500 miles to a small airstrip on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a remote Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean.
"It was an incredible feat of heroism by Tom," said passenger Amitabh Singh, an Indian businessman seated in first class. "The plane was lurching wildly with massive G-forces. Somehow he recovered from that freefall and got us down in one piece."
Upon landing at the Cocos Islands' tiny airport, Hanks was greeted by cheers and applause from the shaken passengers and crew. At least 35 people suffered injuries during the turbulence, with 12 requiring hospitalization for broken bones, gashes and concussions.
"This is an extraordinary act of courage and heroism by Tom Hanks that saved the lives of over 250 people," said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong. "We owe him our deepest gratitude and admiration."
Aviation experts say incidents of turbulence that cause planes to plummet thousands of feet are extremely rare, though turbulence is becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched investigators to the Cocos Islands to examine the damaged aircraft and determine the cause.
For Hanks, who has starred in such blockbuster films as Sully, Saving Private Ryan, and Apollo 13, his quick thinking and flying skills added another heroic real-life role to his illustrious acting career.
"The bottom line is that Tom Hanks performed an amazing and life-saving feat, demonstrating tremendous courage, skill and grace under extreme pressure," said Phong.
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