ZERO VISIBILITY

Sheriff Jim Hammond

Hamilton County, TN

Snow hitting the windshield of the small Cessna and zero visibility made the other two passengers and me more than a little nervous on our final instrument approach to the Chattanooga Airport. However, the controlled voice of our seasoned pilot repeating information from the tower gave us a sense of calm reassurance that we would soon be on the ground. That’s good, I thought, as I didn’t want to be late to teach a criminal justice class at the university. We were returning from a probation officers’ program in Memphis and looked forward to home and families.

Outside was a sea of white, with an occasional snowflake hitting the window. Suddenly, a tree branch struck the right wing, followed by another. As the plane shook violently, pieces of debris began hitting me on the head, neck, arms, and chest. Then, the noise of the plane breaking apart was followed by an awful silence! I was upside down with a small fire burning to my left and wreckage everywhere. I unbuckled my seatbelt and dropped about three feet to the ground, then freed a co-worker strapped in her seat above me and carried her to safety. As the fire intensified, I quickly pulled a second co-worker out. He was badly injured and bleeding from a head wound, so I carried him to the female worker, telling her to hold his head up and put pressure on his wound. The pilot was not to be found; he had been killed instantly and was buried under the wreckage.

We had crashed in a state park about four miles from the airport. I headed toward a light in the distance when the chief park ranger appeared, followed quickly by fire and medical help. I was the least injured, but the other two were hospitalized for several days. We all three recovered, but the memories of that night will last forever.

Reflecting on the accident and how quickly help arrived, I am reminded of the perfect peace God gave me. It was as if he spoke to my heart and said, “Be calm. I am with you, and you will be all right.” There was “zero visibility” outside on that dark and cold night, but perfect clarity in my trust that God would see me through. Not one moment did I feel as if I was going to die. In that and many difficult situations since, I know that God gives perfect peace to those who trust in Him.