"You know by now...something is wrong"

"You know by now that something is wrong." The pilot's announcement pierced the dead silence. Yes, I knew something was wrong. Everyone on board knew that something was very wrong. We had been flying for what seemed like an eternity, with only the sound of the engine's hum. The flight attendants had abruptly stopped the beverage service and retreated to the back of the plane.

Then the pilot came back on. "We are seeking permission to land at the nearest airport that will allow us to." That was all. No further explanation.

As my thoughts raced and fear engulfed my heart, we continued to fly. My husband held my hand and encouraged me that we would certainly make it to earth, but my mouth was too dry to speak. I nodded in silence and continued to look out of the window, praying fervently.

We had left Orlando earlier, in high spirits, carrying sunshine in our souls back to the dreary Chicago winter. About 30 minutes into the flight, as the plane settled into its cruising altitude, an explosive bang shattered the normalcy. We all heard it! As the plane shuddered, complete silence fell in the cabin.

"We have been granted permission to land in Indianapolis," the pilot announced. The flight attendants reappeared and began to prepare the cabin for an emergency landing. As the plane came in, we could see emergency vehicles on the ground. When it finally touched down in a remote section of the airport, a flight attendant shrieked, "Thank God we made it!" Yes — thank God we made it.

It turned out that damage had been incurred to a vital part of the aircraft following the blow out of an engine.

This happened many years ago, before 911 and before social media would have chronicled and dissected every second of it. But I remember it vividly. The emotions, the fear, the panic, the anger, the relief. Flying was never quite the same for me afterwards.