I Almost Died on Baby Jesus’ Birthday

My family lives in Daytona Beach and I decided to fly home for Christmas. I should have picked up on some curious cues that it was going to be an interesting ride when the pilot apologized for the delay because they had to drive the plane from the opposite side of the airport and went on to say that the plane had so many things wrong with it that they had to get it serviced immediately for a number of repairs (Here’s a thought: Maybe they parked it on “the other side of the airport” because it’s broken). Oh well…as any New Yorker, I just wanted to get to my destination. I’ll deal and respond to any crises that arises when they happen. When I need to get somewhere, I can’t be paralyzed by the fear of what could happen to me (especially if you commute on the subway everyday). I buckled my seat belt (Thank God for that, I feel so much safer with it on. I really feel the only reason they make you wear them is so that it makes it easier for them to find your body) and we were off to the Home of NASCARs, Spring Break, Bike Week, and hillbillies.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it), I and fifty other people almost got snuffed out by an unexpected twister (Thank you global warming!).

Here is an excerpt from an article from the Daytona Beach News Journal:

Due to FAA radio ban, tower unaware of tornado

By MELISSA GRIGGS
Business Writer

DAYTONA BEACH - As a 50-passenger jet approached Daytona Beach International Airport for landing Christmas Day, air traffic controllers had no idea a tornado was touching down near the runway.

Comair flight 5580 from New York’s LaGuardia Airport was scheduled to land in Daytona at 1:39 p.m.

The Daytona airport lost power at 1:40 p.m., plunging the radar room and the tower into darkness. Two transmitter receivers also went out. Controllers lost contact with the pilot.

The tornado hit at 1:45 p.m.

Two controllers in the tower saw the windows start to move in and out. They said the building shuddered and they heard a low, moaning sound.

Emergency generators kicked in, restoring power. But only the tower had radio frequency. The pilot called the tower on a different frequency and the tower controllers, still unaware there had been a tornado, directed him to land at another runway.

Raulerson, who has been an air traffic controller for 16 years, said the airport narrowly averted a tragedy. “Had the small plane landed, knowing now what they didn’t know then, the controllers said it wouldn’t have made it,” she said.

“The Comair flight was approaching a runway that would have placed it head-on into the tornado’s path. Instead, it was redirected to another runway and landed about two minutes after the tornado had passed,” she said.

Read the full story: here