On Sunday, a flight controller at the Afghan airport asks the crew of the U.S. Air Force C-17A jet incredulously:
“Ok, how many people are on your jet? 800 people on your jet? Holy cow… Good job getting off the ground!”
The jet is packed with 823 people desperate to escape the Taliban — in a cargo jet only designed to seat 134 soldiers with their equipment. So they were flying with six times their normal load.
But the airmen made the decision to take off and fly the people to safety, though their destination is under wraps due to security concerns.
Hear from the airmen who flew this dangerous mission.