Suspense.
And the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, the master of mystery and adventure,
William N. Robeson.
Take a deep breath and let it out slowly and once more.
No, this is not a caprice.
It is a thoughtful precaution.
See your lungs well now, for you will be holding your breath for the next 30 minutes as you
live through the long night with Frank Lovejoy.
A tale well calculated to keep you in...
Suspense.
This is United 404, 10,000 over outer range.
Request lower altitude, over.
United 404, this is Rockford Tower.
Maintain present altitude until further advised, over.
United 404, Roger Rockford, over and out.
Rockford radio, this is Delta 318, over.
Delta 318, this is Rockford radio, go ahead.
Delta 318, request permission to proceed in the approach.
Over, Delta 318, straight in front of you.
Delta 318, stand on the airport control tower, 90 feet up in the sky.
Straight in front of you.
Over, Rockford Field, waiting to go on the night watch.
And you'll listen to the babble of voices that fill the crowded room in an endless series
of requests.
Request for altitude change, request for landing permission, request for the weather.
Here is the nine o'clock weather, low straightest clouds over the entire Mississippi Valley,
spreading out over the central states, visibility two miles, ceiling 2200 feet and lowering
steadily.
Clouds, smoke, haze and fog and a ceiling getting lower every minute.
You look out through the tinted glass windows into the misty night and you think of the
strangers overhead in and above the clouds.
And you wonder if they too feel the hush as the long night begins.
You wonder if the strangers with the throb of engines and the harsh rasp of many voices
in their ears can feel the stillness.
You look around the tower room, you look and you listen to the voices and you're glad
every time a ship touches down safely on the long light lines runways.
Okay, Brother Ken, you can have it.
For me, it's been a long day.
Traffic been heavy?
It started sort of slow, but it's building up.
I got three converging on the outer marker and two inbound on the range.
It's all here on the board for you.
Yeah, okay.
They're beginning to stack up over Chicago, but that's their worry.
Yeah, and they can have it.
Yeah.
Well, happy landing time.
Yeah, so long Charlie.
Night, Charlie.
Rockford Tower, this is TWA Flight 70 requesting weather your field, over.
Hello, TWA 70, this is Rockford.
We have straightest clouds, ceiling of 2000, visibility under two miles, smoke, haze and
fog on the ground, over.
What is your traffic there, Rockford?
Five inbound inside the 20-mile range, one conveyor and two DC-7s outbound on the red,
over.
Okay, Rockford, this is TWA 70 requesting change of flight plan to land your field instead
of Chicago.
Roger, TWA, I'll notify Chicago and clear you in.
Give us a call when you pass the Milburn Hills.
Rockford out.
Roger, thanks very much.
Give Chicago a call, Mike, tell him their Flight 70 is terminating here.
Okay, Ken, we'll do it.
What's up, Chicago?
This is Rockford radio.
Rockford, Rockford Tower, this is Beechcraft Bonanza N91457.
Hello, Beechcraft N91457, this is Rockford Tower.
I've been homing on your range and apparently my automatic direction finder isn't working
right.
I think I'm lost.
Standby, 457.
Check the flight file, will you, Mike, see if he's on it.
All right.
Hello, Rockford.
Are you hearing me, Rockford?
If you are, please give me a call.
This is Rockford, we're reading you fine, Beech.
Hold on a second.
Find anything on it, Mike?
No, there's nothing here, Ken, no flight plan.
Okay.
Hello, Beechcraft N91457, this is Rockford Tower.
What seems to be the trouble with your idea?
I don't know exactly, Rockford.
I'm not too familiar with this equipment, but I don't think it's working right because
I've been changing from one range to another just like I was told to and I ought to have
been somewhere over Minneapolis long ago, and I'm not.
All right, Beechcraft, we'll work something out for you.
Where are you flying from?
Indianapolis.
Headed on a direct flight to Minneapolis?
That's right, Rockford.
I set my automatic direction finder just exactly the way I was told to when they installed
it.
Did you make any visual checks against what your ADF showed?
I'm sorry, I didn't get that.
Did you check your course when you passed over the airway's rain stations by looking
at visual ground objects like signs on the top of oil tanks telling you what city you
were over, anything like that?
No, I'm afraid I didn't.
I thought my ADF was working, so I didn't think about anything else.
Okay.
Now, what was your last known position?
Last known?
Well, I'm trying to think.
I guess the last time I positively knew where I was was when I departed Indianapolis.
What time was that?
About 5.30, maybe 5.45.
5.30?
Verify that time.
That would be more than three hours en route.
You should be well out of my range.
Yeah, I know.
But I've been circling for more than an hour trying to make the ADF work and looking for
Rockford.
What is your remaining fuel supply?
Well, I guess there's no use kidding myself.
I think I've got about 45 minutes, maybe at the very best, an hour.
Well, here is the situation.
The weather here is solid overcast at 600, visibility one mile in smoke and haze.
Do you see any towns, rivers, highways that you can identify?
No, I can't see anything but clouds.
I'm on top.
We smoked right here, that right?
Yes, you did.
Beechcraft, did you say you were on top?
That's right, on top of a solid layer.
Have been for a long time.
At what altitude?
I'm at 5,000 indicated, about a thousand above the clouds.
457, take a good look around you.
Are there any breaks in the overcast?
Can you see any holes, any thin spots in the area at all?
No, no, it's solid.
It's a completely solid layer.
Are you an instrument pilot?
What do you mean?
I mean, are you checked out on instruments?
Do you have instrument training?
No, no, I've never been on instruments in my life.
I'm just lost.
You look at the clock, 9.04.
You look at the clock and mentally give yourself 45 minutes.
45 minutes to find him, bring him in, and get him on the ground.
You check the latest weather chart and you don't like what you see.
Your mouth feels dry.
You reach for a cigarette as you punch the mic button
and do the next thing that must be done.
Rockford Tower to all planes working this frequency.
We have an emergency.
Repeat, we have an emergency.
Please maintain radio silence on this frequency until further notice.
A Rockford Tower to Beechcraft, N91457.
Come in, 457.
Okay, Rockford.
Tell me, how did you get on top?
Well, it was almost clear when I left Indianapolis.
I climbed straight out to 5,000 and later,
while I was trying to get the ADF working, I found myself on top.
It just happened.
Yes, are you familiar with range orientation?
No, I don't know anything about that either.
I'm just a businessman with a new airplane.
I know only enough about the radio to tune in the stations.
I know I'm lost, though, and need help.
These gas tanks aren't getting any fuller.
Yes, I know, 457. I understand.
Sure, you understand, but he doesn't.
He knows he's lost and he needs help. He understands that.
But he doesn't know what the odds are on getting him straightened out
over the field and then getting him down through that solid layer of clouds.
You fight down a sudden urge to push the microphone button and scream at him.
To tell him that nobody forced him into an airplane, he hardly knew how to fly.
Nobody forced him to take off on a long night cross-country
in weather suitable only for experienced professionals.
But you know there's no time for hindsight, there's hardly any time for hopes.
So you push the black button and you try to sound calm.
Hello, 457. This is Rockford Tower. Now, listen to me carefully.
Are you reading me okay?
Yeah. Hello, Rockford. I'm hearing you fine. Loud and clear.
All right. Now I'm going to try to get a fix on you.
But before I do, I want you to know what the situation is.
I'm sure I can find you. I'm reasonably sure I can get you
over the airport before you're out of fuel.
I am not sure, though, that we can get you on the ground.
Do you understand? No, no, I don't understand.
I'm lost and I'm about out of gas and I don't understand why we're wasting time talking about it.
You get me over an airport and then we'll worry about getting on the ground.
All right, but you understand this. It's my job to help find you.
It's my job to help you find the airport and I'll do everything I can to get you on the ground.
But flying that airplane through those clouds will be the hardest thing you've ever done in your life.
Do you understand that?
Okay, I understand. Now what are we going to do?
Now we're going to orient you by radio and bring you in over the Rockford Airport.
I will tell you what must be done, but you have got to do it.
I can't fly your airplane for you. Do you understand?
Yeah. Okay, Rockford. I understand.
You know the standard procedures for range orientation.
You run over every step of them a million times for just this kind of emergency.
That's one of the reasons you're up here in this modern Tower of Babel on these long nights.
But you've got two strikes against you on this one.
Time, you read the clock at 9.07, and a fool in an airplane.
Mike, get your cargo control center on the horn, ask them to set up an alert of all facilities within a hundred miles.
You better get them to clear all altitudes in the area below 6,000 feet.
Okay, we'll do it.
You know, I don't know whether to try to get him down through the clouds now and then try to bring him in,
or whether to get him over us on top and then let him down where we won't lose radio contact if he gets too low.
Well, it's souped up all across the valley, Ken. You might get him down through it,
but if he's too far out, he'd have no chance of getting here under the ceiling.
Yeah, yeah, and if I don't get him started, it's something he'll be out of fuel anyway, and it won't matter.
I'm going to bring him in on top.
Okay, I'll check where they're very closely, Ken. If I hear of any breaks, I'll give it to you.
Good, thank you.
Hello, 457, this is Rockford Tower.
Yeah, okay, I'm Rockford.
I'm going to speak very distinctly,
and if you don't understand any part of what I tell you, come in and break me off.
It's vital that you understand me. Is that clear?
Yeah, I understand.
Okay.
Now, I want you to listen very closely to my range signal.
Put everything else out of your mind. Listen and describe exactly what you hear.
Okay.
Hello, Rockford. I hear a code sound.
Is that the range?
That's right. What does it sound like?
Well, it goes...
...dodged it, dodged it.
Okay, 457, now is it loud or soft?
It's pretty loud.
Okay, that's the N quadrant.
Now, I want you to tune to the Madison, Wisconsin range and tell me what you hear.
Okay, wait a minute.
Yeah, hello, Rockford. I've got the Madison range.
What does it say?
It's just like the other, only backwards.
Uh, da-da, da-da.
That's right.
I can hardly hear it, but it's there all right.
Yeah, okay, 457, that's the A quadrant.
Now, I want you to try Peoria and then Chicago.
Rockford, Madison, Peoria, Chicago.
Four corners to check from.
Four radio sounds that you hope he's reading correctly.
You finish the check and he comes through without a babble, and you know you have him fixed.
You know at least his direction from you.
You take a deep breath and for the first time you feel a tiny flicker of hope that you're going to find your stranger and get him in all right.
But you're a long way from home, and you light another cigarette and push the black microphone button hard.
Now listen carefully, 457. I'm going to run a check procedure on you.
I want you to take up a northeast heading, turn your volume down as low as you can, and still receive my range signal.
At the very moment you detect a change in signal strength, either higher or lower, advise me.
All right, Rockford, I'll do my best.
I'm not sure that I...I'm not at all sure.
Hello, 457, can you hear me? Do you hear me, Beechcraft 457?
Rockford, yes, I read you now. I lost you for a second, but I hear your range signal now.
Did you get all of my last transmission?
Yeah, I think so. I think I can do it.
Hello, Rockford, my gauges indicate empty tanks. There's some gas left, I know, but I have no idea how much.
Do you know where I am?
I'm quite sure of your direction from me, and I believe I know how far out you are within, say, 20 miles.
If what you've told me is correct, I estimate you have 30 minutes fuel remaining.
I believe your gauges are indicating normally. Now, try to concentrate on doing just what I've told you to do.
Yeah, okay, Rockford. I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful. I realize you can't afford mistakes, but I can't last much longer.
I'm not trying to hurry you, but the gauges say empty, and my son is getting sick.
You didn't say anything about having any passengers aboard? How many are there of you?
Just my son and me.
Is the air rough? Is there turbulence?
No, no, the air is smooth.
But you said your son is getting sick.
Yes, you see, he's only nine, and he's getting scared. That's what's making him sick.
You don't say anything for a long minute. You just stare out into the miserable night, and your thoughts are not nice.
You think of your own kid, and you thank God he's home safely in bed.
And you know now, if you didn't know it before, that you've got to bring these strangers home.
You reach for the microphone button, but before you push it, the voice is back on your speaker.
What's happened, Rockford? I can't hear you anymore. Did you hear me? I was talking to you, and you didn't answer. Hello, Rockford, come in, please.
I'm reading you, 457. I heard everything you said. Now listen to me carefully. You should be approaching my west course close into the station.
I want you to listen closely and describe any change in your signal. I won't call you. You call me when you hear anything change.
Okay, Rockford.
Hello, Rockford. The signal is much louder now, and I'm getting more of a continuous tone in my earphones, although I can still hear that other signal.
All right, 457. That's fine. That's good. Now listen carefully. Turn your volume down a little more.
And when you no longer hear that other signal, and when the continuous tone is loud and clear, and when you hear nothing but the continuous tone,
at that time I want you to turn right to a heading of 93 degrees magnetic. Is that clear?
I, uh, yeah, I think so.
You think so? You've got to know so. When you hear nothing but a tone, when there's nothing but a loud buzz in your ears, I want you to turn right to 93 degrees on your compass.
Do you understand me?
Yes, I understand. Turn right to 93 degrees on the compass when I hear a loud tone.
That's correct.
The tone is strong now. I don't hear the other signal. Nothing but the tone. Shall I?
Yes, turn right, turn to 93 degrees, and advise.
Advise?
Advise when on course, when on 93 degrees. Advise.
Roger. Advise when on... I'm on course now, on 93.
All right, good.
Chicago Control Center has everything cleared on a 6000. They're monitoring the calls, too.
Okay, Mike, thanks a lot. What's the time?
Um, 940, straight up.
940? That's 12 minutes to make it in.
Hello, 457. You're approaching the range now. You're almost over the station. The range is about two miles from where I'm sitting.
The signal you hear will continue to increase in volume until you cross the range.
At that time, it will fade out quickly. For a moment, you may hear nothing. Then it will increase again rapidly.
Now, at the very instant your signal fades, I want you to make an immediate left turn to a heading of four or five degrees magnetic.
Take that heading and advise. Understand?
I understand.
Mike, get on the phone and alert the local police and fire departments. Tell them what we've got and to be on the lookout for a fast move.
Roger.
Get all the lights on on the field, the runway markers. When we get him down through this, he won't have any time to spend looking for the field.
Okay, will do.
That is, if we get him down through it.
You light another cigarette. You watch the clock on the desk.
You try to keep your mind clear, to think ahead, to think of everything that can possibly happen. And the waiting is worse than anything yet.
You keep reaching for that microphone, wanting to call him to ask him why he doesn't tell you he's over the range.
And you know he hasn't called you because he isn't over the range yet.
And you wait and you wait.
And then it comes loud and clear.
Rockford, Rockford, I'm over the range and starting a turn.
It's just like you said. It's exactly the way you said it would be.
Roger, four, five, seven. You're doing fine. Now come left to four, five, straight and level. Hold it until I tell you different. I'll call you back.
I think you got him, Ken.
Well, if he's where he ought to be, we should hear him in about 20 seconds. I'm going out the platform and listen. Call me if he calls in.
Okay.
You stand on the steel grating of that tower platform and you try to hear over the sounds from the field below.
You strain your ears for a sound that should come to you out of the southwest.
And you've never wanted to hear anything so much in your life.
And then you hold your breath. You stop breathing to hear better.
And it's there.
A single engine singing a quiet, sweet sound and approaching directly on course.
You flick your burning cigarette out of the black space and stumble back into the tower room. You grab the mic and you almost shout into it.
Four, five, seven. Four, five, seven. This is Rockford. You're over the field. I hear you clearly.
Start a 360 turn immediately in orbit in your present area.
Beginning of 360.
For God's sake, tell me what to do. This engine is ready to quit.
You snap a look at the clock. Nine, forty-six. Five, maybe six minutes more if you're lucky. Six minutes.
At the outside to get him lined up properly for a straight-in approach to talk him down through 4,000 feet of solid clouds.
Six minutes to bring off a miracle.
You waste 15 precious seconds debating the best way to do it.
All along up to now you've planned it this way. A good, steady, full-scale power approach nose up a little, flaps down just enough, power on exactly right.
Your mind has told you that this was the ticket, the only answer.
With a good, steady airplane, no turbulence to speak of, well trimmed and hands off, he might just make it. He might.
But suddenly you're not sure.
Maybe if he could pull his power, slow her down, trim her slow and steady, a touch of flaps. That might be the answer. That might do it.
It would save precious gas if he missed his approach or he goofed up in the clouds he could get back on top for another try. Maybe.
You push the microphone button hard and try to sound calm.
Four, five, seven, I hear you plainly. You're circling the airport. There isn't time to talk this out.
You'll have to do exactly what I tell you the first time and do it right. There simply isn't time enough.
Oh, wait a minute. Do you have chutes? Do you have parachutes aboard?
No, no parachutes.
All right, four, five, seven. We'll have to do it this way. Now listen to what I have to say. You don't have to talk. Just listen.
Come around to a due west heading, due west.
As you do, start slowing her down. Slow her down and trim her up for a power approach, a normal power approach. Do you understand?
I understand. Don't talk to me. Bring her around, head west with the power on.
Slow her down, flaps down to approach position, trim her up, make her steady. Advise when you're headed west and slow down.
Ten, fifteen, twenty. Where is he? Where is twenty five?
Four, five, seven. Are you there? Four, five, seven.
I'm trying to get her steady. I'm trying to do what you told me.
All right. Four, five, seven. Don't talk. Advise when on course.
Rodford, I'm on 270 now. Slowing down. I don't know. I just don't know.
I know you don't know. All we can do is try.
I understand. I'm down to 80 now. Flaps down and power on.
Roger, continue trimming her. Trim her down good. Adjust your power and trim her until she's descending at a steady 500 feet per minute.
That's 500 per minute. Trim her good, do you understand?
Trim her so good that she will let down at 500 feet per minute with your hands off.
Do you get that? With your hands off. I understand.
Now, four, five, seven, you're going to bring her around very slowly and precisely to an east heading.
You're going to handle her very gently so she won't fall off on you flying so slow. Do you hear me? Yes, I hear you.
Let her continue to settle at 500 feet a minute. Just bring her around slowly to the east, recover, and then take your hands off the controls.
She won't fly with my hands off of you. She will fly. She'll fly better than you can. Now listen to me.
When you are eastbound, hands off. She will descend slowly into the clouds. After you're in the clouds, do not touch the controls.
I don't think I... Then don't think. Do as I tell you.
Now when you get in the clouds, everything will change for you.
You will think the airplane is all wrong, that it's doing everything that it shouldn't do.
If you leave it alone, it will start a slow spiral to the left, but I don't think it'll be enough to do any harm until you've broken out under the ceiling.
Now whatever it does, you will think it's going to the right or up or down or even spinning, but it won't be doing any of those things unless you make it do them.
Now don't touch it. Now are you eastbound? I'm eastbound, yes.
Take your hands off the controls. But I... Take your hands off now.
Okay. Hands are off. Now let her have it. Let her fly herself.
The ceiling's under 600 feet. That doesn't give him much time to recover and get his bearings when he breaks out.
Oh, but it's all we can do. It's all anybody can do.
You sit there waiting, only too aware of what can be happening in the cabin of Beechcraft 457, sweating out each second of time with a terrified pilot and his deathly scared kid.
You wonder if this man, this stranger, and yet no longer a stranger, could keep his fantasies under control for that long letdown.
The lonely long letdown through total darkness with nothing but a great fear for a companion.
A minute goes by and another and then...
Rockford! Rockford! It's turning Rockford! Turning! Airspeed's high! It's going higher!
Get off those controls! Cut the throttle!
I've got the throttle closed! She's slowing down fast! I can't see! I can't!
Well, she's going to stall. Give her the throttle. Slowly. Keep your hands off except the throttle.
She'll climb back out on top if you keep your hands off her.
Two minutes wasted. More than two minutes because he couldn't believe what you told him. You had him and then you lost him.
And now if the teacup of gas still in his tanks holds out, if he gets back on top, you still have it to do all over again.
You begin to feel the long night closing in on you.
He's almost calm when he calls you back this time. You can almost hear his sigh of relief.
Hello Rockford. I'm back on top now.
Good. Maybe we have time for one more try. Now let's try it with the power off this time. You may lose your engine before you can get...
It's no use Rockford. It's just no use. I can't do it. I was fine until I got into those clouds.
I just couldn't sit there and do nothing. I just couldn't. I know I can't do it again.
Listen, there's time. There's time for another try.
Forget it. The engine just quit. That's it Rockford.
Well you can still do it...
Forget it. You're wasting your time. I just want to say thanks for trying.
Hello 457. Hello. Hello Beach. Hello 457.
He can't hear you. His hands froze to the mic.
Yeah.
You better hit the crash button.
Roger.
Rockford tower to all planes awaiting landing instructions. The emergency is over.
Normal radio procedure is now in effect. Rockford, over and out.
Rockford radio, delta two one six, rest...
CWA seven oh request permission...
Suspense.
In which Frank Lovejoy starred in The Long Night adapted by Sam Pearce from the Atlantic monthly story by Lowell D. Blanton.
Listen. Listen again next week when radio's outstanding theater of thrills brings you another tale well calculated to keep you in...
Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed in Hollywood by William N. Robeson.
Included in tonight's cast were Stacy Harris, Byron Cain, Court Falconberg, Sam Pearce and Jack Crouchon.
The original musical score was composed and conducted by Paul Barron. Sound patterns by Ray Kemper and Bill James.
With Jack Benny and his gang back on the air each Sunday, there's just no excuse for a frown.
Later on today and every Sunday, get in on the fun on the lighthearted Jack Benny show. It's always a joy to hear.
Stay tuned for five minutes of CBS News to be followed over most of these same stations by indictment.
Meow!