Hi there Ladies and gentleman.
I have had all the time in the world to write to everyone. Now with my laptop returned by the Police and it still works, and my sight pretty well back to normal as my scull fracture repairs, I feel as if it is the time. I have to say sorry, I didn’t and haven’t felt as if I wanted to write before. But it is rude after or all your good wishes and requests on my welfare not to write and inform you of the latest. I think the pictures say more.
It looks like I am going to walk out of hospital Monday and you would have to wonder why I was here. I feel and look fine, as if nothing had happened, and every morning I wake up hoping to be at Kohnan the destination airfield and that this is all a bad dream. But by now I know it is not. I have been very lucky and it is not wasted on me.
Saying that, there is a Typhoon on its way with the eye predicted to be over the hospital, midday Monday when I’m discharged, I kid you not. I hope to then travel an hour to Osaka and hope to fly home on Tuesday. But I hardly want to write these words, so as not to jinx or jeopardise events, such is the state of my head.
There is more bad news, I had a rather large sum of money in US dollars to pay for fuel in Russia and onwards in the back of the plane. Its missing, taken from the crash site. So more wranglings, which is such a shame as all involved with respect to the police and investigators have been so good and kind to me.
But enough is enough. I just want to come home, to familiar sites and sounds and rebuild. The police have let me take a lot back home, when I went to see the plane in their yard, but also they have held on to a lot of my belongings and I won’t see them for many months or years depending on how long the investigation takes.
I spent hours with them yesterday testing the fuel system hoping to find a reason for the incident, to put my mind at rest. Nothing was found wrong with anything as such. The engine driven fuel pump is remarkably clean as if it was washed with fuel, so it is being investigated further.
I have to thank everyone for your support and my friends and family at home and for the donations towards paying for the medical fees. It looks as if I have a lot of lawns to mow or cars to wash or 50 hour aircraft maintenance checks to do for free when I get home to thank you all and repay you for your generosity.
I’ll start as soon as I can, if ever I get home. I’ll let you all know when I am. They way things are going, please don’t hold your breath.
Best regards,
Colin Hales.