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before the flights were scheduled to begin, Steedman was faced with yet another problem. He was informed by Douglas Aircraft that the earliest date that it could schedule the DC-9 for the installation of the auxiliary fuel tank was March 1970 — two months after the planned start date. Steedman phoned Octavio to discuss the latest setback. He told Octavio that despite the problems he would agree to fly the route even if it meant flying via the Bahamas and making a fuel stop. But there was nothing he could do to get the extra fuel tank installed earlier than March. The two men discussed the pros and cons of delaying the start date. Both agreed that waiting until March or April to begin the flights didn’t make good business sense. They would miss the peak travel season. Octavio agreed toamend the wording of the contract, pushing back the requirement for the auxiliary fuel tank. The final lease agreement was signed with the following statement: “Overseas shall arrange and install a center tank to increase the fuel capacity of this aircraft by 780 gallons on or before April 1, 1970.” 5
    For reasons that will be explained shortly, as ALM 980 made its way to St. Maarten on May 2, 1970, the auxiliary fuel tank had yet to be installed.

Chapter 4
    T
HE DECISION ON WHETHER IT WOULD BE NECESSARY to stop for fuel was usually made well in advance of Bermuda. The crew needed time to plan their descent and to call ahead for fuel and to make other arrangements. The early indications on this flight were that a fuel stop was not going to be needed. The winds were favorable, the load was light, and the flight was on schedule. This was good news for the flight crew. Landing at Bermuda increased the workload considerably. It also tacked on an additional thirty minutes of flying time
.
    The passengers, of course, knew nothing of the possibility of having to stop for fuel. They had purchased tickets for a non-stop flight. A landing anywhere other than St. Maarten would have been cause for concern. On those occasions when the plane did have to stop for fuel, the job of placating the passengers was usually left to the flight attendants. Few people argued with the decision, though. One look at the vast expanse of open water beneath them was enough to convince even the most irascible of passengers of the merits of having adequate fuel
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    With lunch having been served, the three flight attendants made a pass through the cabin to collect the trash. Once that task was completed,
they had some free time to themselves. They usually found an empty passenger seat to sit in and spent time reading or working on company-related paperwork
.
    The passengers took the opportunity to stretch. A few walked to the rear of the cabin to visit one of the two lavatories on board. Others slept, lulled to sleep by the quiet hum of the slipstream
.
    Entertainment choices on the flight were limited. There was no in-flight movie. While that amenity was available on some of the larger commercial jets, such as the Boeing 747 first introduced a few months earlier, the DC-9 was not so equipped. There were also none of the electronic accoutrements that today’s airline passengers enjoy. There were no laptop computers, PDAs, CD players, MP3 players, personal DVD players, in-seat video displays, etc. The walkman would not be introduced for another nine years
.
    A few passengers lit up cigarettes to help pass the time. Not only was smoking permitted, there wasn’t even a separated smoking section. Smoking sections would not appear on commercial airline flights until 1973. The total banning of smoking on domestic flights and most international flights would not occur until 1991
.
    The primary source of entertainment on board was reading. Some of the bestselling titles out during this time period include
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou,
Love Story
by Erich Segal, and
The French Lieutenant’s Woman
by John Fowles. Other notable titles that