As a Captain for World Travel Airlines you've flown the route from Seychelles International Airport (FSIA) northeast across the Indian Ocean to Trivandrum Airport (VOTV) in southern India many times. This morning, as you approach the coast of India, all seems normal.

It's said that the life of an airline pilot is hours and hours of sheer boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. As the mission starts you're in level flight at 35,000 feet, 300 miles from Trivandrum, and you're in the middle of a casual conversation with your copilot.