Chapter 4 — Before takeoff, I refused to sign the order for the plane to fly

A second later, the radio rang. The passenger service manager's voice was almost lost.

"Manager Trieu! At the departure gate, there are passengers recording videos. Someone said there was an argument within the technical department."

Trieu Minh Vien did not answer. He just stared at that crack.

"Everyone, don't say anything for now."

Having finished speaking, he turned and went straight to the mining operations office. When the re-test results were announced... The first thing the manager did was lock the office door. That scratch... Wasn't caused by the plane during flight. I stood outside the door, still holding the measuring tape in my hand. Trieu Minh Vien called Han Weidong, myself, ground department manager Liaoqiang and Gu Chengze into the office. Co Thua Trach ran over from the cockpit, his hat still had rainwater on it. Lieu Cuong was the last to arrive. He wore a reflective vest from the ground department and still had his access card on his chest. Trieu Minh Vien locked the door.

"First we must unify the situation."

I looked at him.

"Why do we have to lock the door?"

"To avoid information being spread haphazardly."

"The information has been sent to MCC."

"I mean how to speak at the scene."

Co Thua Trach pulled out a chair but did not sit.

"The plane can't take off?"

Han Ve Dong replied:

"The Duong engineer requested a non-destructive examination. The scratches on the outside correspond to the location of the coating crack at the internal fixing point, suspecting the structure has been deformed due to force."

Co Thua Trach asked:

"What is the cause?"

The whole room immediately fell silent. Trieu Minh Vien turned to Lieu Cuong.

"Was there any means of access to the rear cargo area at this parking location last night?"

Lieu Cuong's throat moved slightly.

"Regular service vehicles must have access."

"Was there a collision?"

"No reports."

"I asked yes or no."

"I... never heard of it."

I opened the tablet.

"The image from the parking location camera between 2:47 and 2:52 a.m. has a section obscured by a luggage trailer."

Lieu Cuong immediately looked at me.

"Did you check the surveillance cameras?"

"I don't have access to the system. Just now the quality safety officer sent a screenshot from the public replay of the parking spot to MCC, I can only see that screenshot."

Trieu Minh Vien rubbed hard between his eyebrows.

"Lam Ha, don't say nonsense."

I enlarged the photo. It was a night of heavy rain. The light is very dim. Right under the plane's belly, a luggage trailer and two trailers were stopping right under the rear cargo door. The angle of the trailer looks very unusual. In the next photo, the trailer has backed out, leaving a trail of mud and water on the ground.

"During that same time period, the ground service vehicle's GPS data showed it stopped at this parking location for four and a half minutes."

I looked at Lieu Cuong.

"But in the handover record, there is absolutely no record of this approach."

Lieu Cuong immediately objected:

"On a heavy rain day, it's very normal for the GPS signal to drift."

Han Weidong glanced at him.

"Floated... all the way to the bottom of the plane?"

Lieu Cuong immediately fell silent. Trieu Minh Vien put his hand on the table.

"Don't rush to conclusions now."

Co Thua Trach asked:

"Are there reports of a crash on the ground?"

No one answered. He repeated:

"It's good no?"

Trieu Minh Vien replied:

"Not yet."

"So in the captain's report it will be written: new damage discovered on the surface of the aircraft, origin unknown; During the re-inspection process, abnormalities were detected in the internal structure, suspected to be due to impact from the ground, pending investigation."

Trieu Minh Vien raised his head.

"Captain Co, if you just add the word 'suspect', the nature of the incident will be completely different."

Co Thua Trach calmly replied:

"It's not because I wrote that the nature of things changed."

Lieu Cuong suddenly turned to look at me.

"Engineer Lam, maybe it was just debris thrown up from the luggage cart, and it didn't hit the plane at all. If you write like that, our entire contractor team will be suspended."

"I didn't write that you guys crashed into the plane."

"So what do you mean by showing the screenshot?"

"To prove the origin of the scratch requires investigation."

"Do you know how much money that driver earns every month? Do you know what being suspended from work would mean to him?”

This time I didn't answer right away. Of course I know. I also live on my monthly salary.