visibility, smooth air, very fortunate weatherwise. >> as we're flying along and everything is as smooth as can be and service is humming and working well as a team, out of the blue here comes this explosion. i mean, it was a huge loud explosion. >> but passenger rod vetter, a seasoned traveler, isn't fazed. >> my first thought was a bomb went off. then i realized that it hadn't depressurized so it wasn't a bomb, and then i realized it was probably an engine blowing, and my first thought was, okay, we got off a little late maybe and we're going to get right on into chicago because a dc10 can certainly fly with two engines. >> the explosion happens at 3:16 p.m., an hour and seven minutes into the flight. the jumbo jet is at 33,000 feet over alta, iowa. after the explosion, the plane