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Walt and Donyelle Wilkins lugged suitcases and snorkeling gear to the far end of the Fort Lauderdale airport, searching for the Air Sunshine counter. It was a humid July 13, 2003, and they were hot, tired and a little cranky the day after their wedding.The service had gone beautifully. Some 300 guests had celebrated with them at First Baptist Church in Charleston, South Carolina. But afterward, as they got into an open horse-drawn carriage for a ride down the city's famed Battery, it began to rain. Donyelle began to fret -- until the largest rainbow she had ever seen arched over the harbor. A good omen, they both believed.
They finally found the airline counter, and the agent asked them their weight -- they would soon find out why. Out on the tarmac was a rickety-looking twin-engine Cessna 402C. This isn't a plane, Donyelle thought. It's a flying minivan. "I'm not getting on," she told Walt.
He rubbed her back. "C'mon," he said. "We've got to get to Abaco. It'll be okay." They'd both been looking forward to staying at a friend's condo on the small Bahamian island. So, reluctantly, Donyelle climbed the steps and ducked into the cramped cabin.
The pilot crawled in through a large window on the left side and strapped himself into a chair tilted back so far Donyelle had to pivot her knees into the aisle. As he taxied for takeoff, she buried her head in her hands.
Seated across from her, Walt saw how anxious she was. So did the passenger in the co-pilot's seat, Constantinos Francisco, who reassured Donyelle that everything was just fine. His wife, Bethany, holding their one-year-old daughter, Zoie, sat behind Walt. Behind them Diane Parker-Diaz, 33, shepherded three little kids, Andre, eight, Elisia, five, and their cousin Diante, four. They were headed to her brother's wedding at her childhood home on Abaco. The kids wiggled excitedly in their seat belts, anticipating seeing their grandma.
The plane soared up over the ocean and climbed to a cruising altitude of 3,500 feet. The passengers settled in as the plane droned on through a tranquil Caribbean sky. Then, 50 minutes into the flight, ten minutes from Abaco, Walt noticed smoke snaking out of the right engine. Oil began flowing onto the wing. Seconds later, there was a blast. It tore a jagged hole in the engine cowling. Parts dangled from wires, and debris fell into the sea.
Amazingly, no one screamed. "What's happened?" Donyelle asked, struggling to stay calm. The pilot did not answer. The plane listed left as he fought to regain control. The right engine was silent. The left roared. Donyelle strained to hear the pilot.
"I've done that. I've done that," he said into his radio. "We're losing pressure. I'm trying to hold on. I don't know how long I can hold it."
Donyelle burst into tears. Across the aisle, Bethany Francisco hummed quietly, trying to soothe baby Zoie. Diane Parker-Diaz, overseeing the three children, was also calm. "I've flown this flight a million times," she told Donyelle. "I can see Abaco. Everything's going to be fine."
Donyelle caught Bethany's eye, and in a moment of empathy, the two women began reciting the Lord's Prayer. Walt reached over for his bride's hand.
Seconds later the plane hit the ocean. The sound was like a cannon shell blasting armor plate. The Cessna tore through waves, finally rocking to a standstill in the rolling seas.
The pilot opened his window, and turned to the passengers, his face badly bruised. Apparently in shock, he sat without speaking.
Shaken, but keeping his cool, Walt unfastened Donyelle's seat belt and struggled to pull life jackets from beneath their seats, but the jackets were stuck. The plane had begun to sink, and Donyelle wasn't moving. Walt picked her up, carried her to the pilot's window and tossed her out. Constantinos handed him a life jacket and he threw it to Donyelle. Then he jumped into the sea after her.
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