There is a plane that could signal impending doom if you spot it in the sky.
Luckily for us, there hasn’t been a need for these aircrafts to be used, but the US have four of these ready, in case the worst of the worst happens.
So, one day in the near future, if you see one of these zooming above your head, you might want to run – or don’t, and you’ll be wiped out within a few minutes anyway.
But by what, exactly?
Basically, the US have a plan of action in case they find they find themselves in the midst of a nuclear war, which at times has been something that has come too close for comfort.
Now that Donald Trump has been given the ‘nuclear football’, a lot of people will be attentively watching with baited breath.
In case it does become a reality, they would need to get off the ground and establish a command and control centre, clear of any potential attack targets in a matter of minutes.
They have called it the National Airborne Operations Centre (NAOC), and they have prepared four E-4Bs, which when translated from tech-speak, are modified Boeing 747-200s that can be used for the military’s doomsday needs and communications.
They aren’t cheap to run, setting the military back $159,529 (£126,000) per hour to operate, as the Air Force’s most expensive plane.
They will be used to carry and protect the nation’s most senior military officials and key figures such as the President, who will be in charge during a nuclear crisis, or similar levels of emergency.
Meant to be ready at any given time, one of the planes has its engines operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to takeoff when needed.
Featuring advanced thermal and nuclear shielding, those inside will be protected from the impact of a nuclear blast.
On top of this, the Boeing doomsday plane can fly non-stop for an entire week once airborne, due to its refuelling capabilities, while being loaded with protective measures to stop missile attacks.
If you step onboard, you’ll see a mobile command centre with ‘advanced radar and surveillance technology’, which can keep track of any potential threats in real time, boasting some of the highest levels of tech in the world.
These four aircraft are based at an Air Force Base that also happens to be home to the US Strategic Command, south of Omaha, Nebraska.
Seeing it in the sky shouldn’t necessarily cause a straight panic though, as the planes are also used to transport officials overseas for events and meetings.
Investigators are piecing together the final moments of those onboard the Voepass Linhas Aéreas Flight 2283 after recordings from the black box were retrieved from the wreckage.
It captured a series of chilling sounds and terrified screams as the twin-engine turboprop tumbled out of the sky and crashed in the town of Vinhedo in São Paulo, Brazil, last Friday (9 August).
The 58 passengers and four crew members who were on the aircraft – which was bound for Guarulhos International Airport – were all tragically killed, with officials saying 60 of the victims have been identified so far.
Terrifying footage shared on social media showed how the the aircraft spiralling out of control, before plunging down into a cluster of trees – but by a miracle, nobody on the ground was hurt.
One traveller onboard the plane, 23-year-old Rosana Santos Xavier, had harrowingly sent her family a selfie before telling them she was ‘afraid of this flight’.
The cause of the crash is still yet to be determined, but a preliminary report on the incident is expected in around 30 days.
For now, the contents of the black box which was retrieved from the wreckage of the Voepass jet is the only thing which can provide an indication of what exactly went wrong onboard flight 2283 last week.
The transcript of the final conversation in the cockpit is somewhat imperfect due to the propellers of the ATR 72-500 being located close to it on top of the fuselage, which therefore creates excessive noise and makes it harder to understand.
However, according to the Brazilian television network Globo, the noises it did pick up suggest the two pilots suddenly realised that the plane was experiencing a sharp drop in altitude approximately one minute before the devastating crash.
Co-pilot Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva is said to have been heard asking ‘what was happening’ before frantically requesting an increase in power, which he reportedly hoped would stabilise the plane and stop it from falling out of the sky.
The distressing recording then came to an end with a loud bang after the screams of the 62 people onboard were heard, according to reports.
But throughout the recording, there were no distinctive warning noises – such as ones which would alert the crew to an engine failure, fire or electrical malfunction – picked up in the audio from the black box, the outlet further states.
Voepass said in a statement earlier this week: “The aircraft took off from Cascavel-PR bound for Guarulhos Airport, with 58 passengers and four crew members on board. VOEPASS has taken all measures to support those involved.
“There is still no confirmation of how the accident occurred or the current situation of the people on board.
“The Company is providing support via telephone at 0800 9419712, available 24 hours a day, providing information to all its passengers, family members and employees.”
