Part 1/8:
The Harrowing Tale of Cathay Pacific Flight 780
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. As you no doubt may be aware, we have a small problem with our engines.”
These words came from Captain Malcolm Waters on April 13, 2010, but they masked a dire reality. The "small problem" referred to a catastrophic failure: one engine had stopped entirely, while the other was stuck at full power. With 309 passengers and 13 crew aboard, the situation was horrifyingly precarious; they might soon find themselves plummeting into the South China Sea.