If you’re short on time, here’s the key facts: In the TV show Manifest, Montego Air Flight 828 disappears for over 5 years before returning with no time lapse for its passengers and crew.
This article will dive deep into the perplexing fictional story of Flight 828 to uncover everything known about its disappearance, the experiences of those on board during the missing years, theories proposed to explain the event, and the aftermath of its miraculous reappearance.
The Baffling Vanishing of Flight 828
Departure from Jamaica on April 7, 2013
On April 7, 2013, Montego Air Flight 828 took off from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
The routine passenger flight was carrying 228 passengers and crew.
At 7:40 AM local time, Flight 828 departed Jamaica under clear skies and with no issues reported by the pilots, Captain Daly and First Officer Radd.
Routine Flight Path to New York City
Flight 828 was scheduled to fly northwest over the Caribbean Sea towards Florida and up the Eastern United States coastline on a route used daily by hundreds of flights.
The 4 hour and 58 minute flight was expected to land in New York around 12:38 PM local time after flying 2,500 miles at an average speed of 500 mph at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet.
The pilots checked in with air traffic control periodically as the flight progressed normally through the morning hours.
At 10:46 AM Eastern Time, about 40 minutes from beginning descent into New York, Captain Daly notified air traffic control they were cruising over the Atlantic Ocean at their expected coordinates.
Loss of Contact Over the Atlantic Ocean
This was the last communication received from Flight 828. Despite multiple attempts, air traffic controllers were unable to reestablish radio contact with the aircraft.
With no distress signal issued, the plane simply vanished from radar screens at 10:46 AM on April 7th while flying over the Atlantic Ocean roughly 40 miles from the coast of Long Island.
A massive search and rescue operation was immediately launched by the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Defense, combing over 500,000 square miles of ocean over the coming weeks. No wreckage or debris was ever found.
With no signs of a crash or mechanical failure, the bizarre vanishing of Flight 828 over the Atlantic Ocean with 228 souls aboard remains an aviation mystery to this day.
The Missing Years: Where Was Flight 828?
Passengers Recall Turbulence and Bright Light
When Flight 828 landed after being missing for over 5 years, the passengers on board recalled experiencing some light turbulence and seeing a extremely bright flash of light.
However, after that, they had no sense that any time had passed at all.
To them, it felt like the flight continued as normal until landing.
“It was the strangest thing. We hit that rough patch and saw the brightest light I’ve ever seen.
Then it seemed like just a few minutes later we were preparing to land. I looked at my watch and the time seemed normal,” recalled one passenger.
Authorities thoroughly interviewed all passengers about their experiences and found the stories to be remarkably consistent.
None of them have any memory or sense of the years that had passed while they were gone.
No Indication of Time Passing Onboard
A full investigation of the returned Flight 828 aircraft found no mechanical issues or anomalies.
The plane seemed to be in exactly the condition expected for its age and wear and tear.
There was no indication from the aircraft instruments and records that it had been missing for years.
All maintenance logs and records on the plane corresponded with the actual flight time experienced by the passengers.
It’s astonishing, but the aircraft itself provides no clues into what happened during those missing years,” said the lead investigator.
Even perishable items like food and liquids on board showed no signs of aging or decay beyond what would be expected during a routine flight. “It’s like time stood still,” remarked an investigator.
Hypotheses Like Time Travel Considered
With no rational explanations immediately clear, even seemingly outlandish hypotheses like time travel have been considered by expert panels convened to study Flight 828.
Some theoretical physicists have speculated that the plane could have passed through a wormhole into the future.
“While it sounds crazy, we have to consider even remote possibilities given the complete lack of clues.
The technology to create traversable wormholes doesn’t exist as far as we know, but perhaps some natural phenomenon could have had a similar effect,” explained a scientist on the panel.
However, most experts remain extremely skeptical of such explanations involving speculative physics.
The mystery continues with authorities looking into every conceivable possibility to unravel what happened during the missing years of Flight 828.
The Shocking and Unexplained Reemergence
Flight 828 Reappears 5 Years Later
In a shocking and mysterious event, Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely at its destination five years after first taking off in 2013.
The commercial airliner had disappeared shortly after takeoff, and all passengers were presumed dead.
However, the plane reappeared in 2018 with all passengers and crew still onboard, completely unaware that five years had passed.
Authorities were stunned when Flight 828 landed at its original destination as if no time had passed for those onboard.
The plane was in perfect condition and flight records indicated the flight had only lasted a few hours from the perspective of the passengers and crew.
This bizarre time discrepancy has left investigators scrambling for answers.
Passengers Unaware They’ve Been Gone
In an unbelievable turn of events, the passengers of Flight 828 had no idea they had been missing for five years.
When interviewed after landing, they insisted they had only been in the air for 6 hours during what seemed like a routine flight. They were shocked and dismayed to learn it was now 2018.
“It was like waking up from a dream, except the dream is your life and everyone else has moved on without you,” said one passenger. ”
I don’t know how to even begin processing this.” Medical exams of the passengers showed they had not aged during the missing years.
Authorities Stunned and Launches Investigations
The mind-boggling reappearance of Flight 828 has authorities completely baffled. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the unprecedented event.
Air traffic control lost contact with the flight shortly after takeoff and an extensive search found no signs of the plane or passengers.
“We are dealing with a scenario that has never happened before as far as we know,” said an NTSB spokesman. “Finding out where the plane was for five years and how the passengers did not age is our top priority.”
FBI officials are also looking into crew and passenger backgrounds as well as interviewing friends and relatives affected by their bizarre return.
For now, the mystery surrounding Montego Air Flight 828 remains unsolved.
Picking Up the Pieces: The Aftermath
Psychological Impact on Passengers
The passengers of Flight 828 experienced severe psychological trauma after their unbelievable journey.
After disappearing for over 5 years, they struggled to come to terms with losing years of their lives and adjusting to a world that had moved on without them.
Their therapists focused on helping them process their emotions, reconnect with changed loved ones, and rebuild their lives in an unfamiliar world.
Reintegration Difficulties for Passengers
Reintegrating into society proved extremely challenging for the passengers of Flight 828.
They had to grapple with significant cultural changes that occurred during the 5 years they were presumed dead. Social media, slang, politics, and current events were foreign to them.
Their personal lives were also turned upside down. Some returned to find their spouses had remarried or partners had moved on.
Their possessions had been sold or stored away. Jobs, licenses, and finances had to be reestablished.
Government agencies even disputed the passengers’ identities at first, refusing to reinstate documentation.
Support groups helped the returned passengers adjust by connecting them with counseling, training, job placement, and financial assistance.
Ripple Effects on Families and Friends
The reappearance of Flight 828 also sent shockwaves through the families and friends of the passengers.
Those who grieved their loved ones’ deaths for 5 years now had to process their return. Some had memorialized the passengers and may struggle with guilt for moving forward after the crash.
Conclusion
The complex story of Flight 828 in Manifest intricately weaves mystery, drama, and inexplicable events into an engaging narrative for viewers.
While we may never fully unravel exactly what happened during those missing years, examining the puzzle pieces provides insight into this compelling fictional tale and its profound impacts on the passengers and their loved ones.
