Aviation: Happy Landing

The four-place Cessna 180 descended toward a landing at Wyoming's Minuteman Missile Site B6. Down and down it went, faster and faster. Too fast. One of the passengers leaned toward veteran Pilot Edgar Van Keuren. The pilot's eyes were open—but sightless. He was dead of a stroke.

At that instant. Passenger Lester Peterson, seated beside Van Keuren, grabbed for the control wheel and yanked back. The aircraft rose again—after plunging to within three feet of the ground. It climbed to 8,000 ft. But the passengers—Peterson, Lester Laun, 34, and John Pawlack, 32—were...