Oct 1, 2026 · 47 min
Retired colonel reconstructs a near-impossible emergency landing
Air Force (Ret.) Colonel Cluck Explains Terrorist Flight Miracle, Odds of Landing "Less than 10%", Lezak Makes Winter Call, Mickelson Enters Rehab
The aviation analysis shows how cockpit decisions, passenger intervention, and aircraft systems shaped the flight’s slim chance of survival.
- 1John Cluck explains how the captain’s emergency signal and cockpit security measures helped prevent a hijacking from becoming a crash.
- 2The aircraft endured an extreme dive and possible tail damage before replacement pilots assessed its controllability and landed at Tabuk.
- 3Gary Lezak forecasts a 67 percent chance of above-normal Kansas City snowfall while predicting a close Chiefs victory over the Raiders.
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John Cluck explains how replacement pilots could land an aircraft after an extreme dive and possible control-surface damage, despite odds he places below 10 percent.
The brief
Retired Air Force colonel and commercial pilot John Cluck reconstructs a suspected hijacking aboard a Boeing 737 MAX 8, focusing on the decisions that kept the aircraft airborne.
Cluck explains how the captain may have signaled an emergency, why the cockpit door was difficult to breach, and how passengers and crew restrained the attacker.
The aircraft’s extreme dive brought overspeed, violent forces, and possible horizontal-stabilizer damage; replacement pilots then had to test control before attempting the landing.
Cluck says the landing’s odds were less than 10 percent, while discussing autoland, braking, steering, passenger effects, and the limited mental-health screening pilots receive.
Gary Lezak shifts to Kansas City weather, projecting a 67 percent chance of above-normal snowfall and calling for a 27–24 Chiefs win over the Raiders.