My Plane Crash

In the early 1990's Northwest Airlines used the Detroit Metropolitan Airport as a hub, a very busy hub. During that time OJ Simpson was doing commercials for Northwest running through terminals and hurdling luggage. It's amazing how things have changed since then. Northwest Airlines no longer exists after merging with Delta in 2009 and OJ Simpson was released from prison last October after a robbery conviction in 2007.

In the early 90's however Northwest and OJ were both flying high. One of the commercials OJ did for Northwest was located in one of the terminals at the Detroit Airport that I happen to be traveling through that day. By the time I got to the terminal, all the cameras were gone and OJ was no where in sight. The buzz was still running high about the commercial that had just been shot in the terminal, so high that I am not sure you would have been able to spend much time in the terminal and not hear about it.

I finally get to my gate. Airports that are hubs for the different airlines are always large, it's amazing to me how much walking is involved when you're taking an airplane. After a week long business trip and anxious to get home on time, everything looks good with no delays.

As I am boarding, walking down the aisle of the airplane to my seat, the plane suddenly shifts to the left. Not much, just enough to impact your balance enough to grab the nearest seat. Once everyone is seated on the plane, the captain comes over the intercom to explain the planes sudden shift during boarding. The box truck carrying the equipment for filming the commercial had ran into our plane. The captain explained that crews were already checking the damage and the delay should be minimal.

Fifteen minutes later, the captain again comes over the intercom and tells us the crews will need to x-ray the rear of the plane but we shouldn't be delayed more than another hour. At the end of the hour, the captain comes back on the intercom letting us we all need to get off the plane and that our flight had been reassigned to another plane just down the terminal.

With a two hour delay our plane finally takes off. Luckily I don't have to make a connection anywhere to get on another plane but I do still have a ninety minute drive when I get home. This was before the explosion of cell phones onto our society and I didn't have a way to let my wife know what was going on. My wife knew my schedule but not about the 2 hour delay. She'll know I am home when I get there is how things worked then.

When I finally get home after greetings, my wife asked "What was the delay?".

My response was simply "I was in a plane crash.".

Of course a flurry of questions started and even though she could see I was fine she had to ask anyway. Finally I get her calmed down enough that I can tell her what happened and assure her it really wasn't serious. It was late, I was tired and wanted to get to sleep but I had created a delay in the appointment with my pillow.

I don't mean to make light of any airline tragedy or the emotional trauma that someone could carry around because of it. But I am the only person I know that can make the statement "I was once in a plane crash.".