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“This doesn’t make sense,” he muttered. “We’ve got complete electrical power, but zero communication capability.”

What neither pilot knew was that a rare and catastrophic electromagnetic interference event was occurring around the aircraft, caused by an unusual interaction between solar radiation, atmospheric conditions, and the plane’s electrical systems. The phenomenon had knocked out every radio transmitter and receiver on board while leaving other systems temporarily functional.

“We need to squawk 7600,” Morrison said, entering the transponder code for communication failure. But when he checked the display, the transponder showed offline. “Transponder’s dead, too. How is that possible?”

Tran’s training kicked in. “We follow procedure. Maintain heading and altitude. Try to restore communication. If we can’t, we’ll need to navigate visually and make an emergency landing.”

But before either pilot could take further action, the electromagnetic interference intensified. In the cockpit, unseen by anyone, a surge of energy coursed through the aircraft’s wiring. The pilots’ displays flickered wildly.