When Southwest Airlines Captain Brian Udell's flight had to divert to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), Udell thought the passengers deserved a face-to-face explanation. In the main cabin, when explaining the flight had to land in Florida due to bad weather, some passengers started asking him about his time in the Air Force.A little boy on the flight named Seth overheard Udell talking about his time as an elite fighter pilot and how he holds the record for a low-level ejection at supersonic speed. So enthralled by Udell's story, Seth told his mother that he would like to get the captain's autograph. Unfortunately for Seth, he fell asleep and was not able to speak with Captain Udell.

Udell ejected from an F-15E at over 800 mph

During a routine training mission off the coast of North Carolina on April 18, 1995, Udell was piloting a McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle along with weapon systems officer Captain Dennis White. While making a 60-degree right-hand turn, a computer failure caused the aircraft to malfunction, and instead of completing the turn, the plane was heading straight down towards the ocean at more than 800 mph.

With only seconds left before impact and no way to pull out of the dive, Udell gave the command to eject. Knowing that White would be ejected from the rear seat first, Udell pulled the handles at 6,000 feet. The canopy was released at 4,500 feet, with White ejecting at 3,000 and then Udell at 1,500. Udell's parachute opened in time to safely land in the ocean, but unfortunately, White died during the ejection. Managing to climb aboard his emergency raft, despite having suffered terrible injuries, Udell had to wait four hours before being rescued.

Udell had no choice but to eject

Following an Air Force investigation into the incident, it was concluded that Udell had no other option than to eject from the plane. With regards to his injuries, doctors told Udell that he might never walk again. However, Udell was determined, and after six months of rehabilitation, he was back on his feet. Ten months later, Udell was back on duty flying combat missions over Iraq.

Determined to try and get her son Captain Udell's autograph, Seth's mom did everything she could to track the Southwest Airlines pilot down. Eventually, she came across Brian's wife Kriti on Facebook and sent her a message. When Kristi told Brian that Seth wanted to get his autograph rather than just sending something in the mail, Brian decided to meet Seth in person. Brian hopped in his car with his two sons for company and drove to Seth's home in St Louis, Missouri.

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A signed photo of Freedom One

Captain Udell then presented Seth with an autographed photo of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 painted in an American flag livery. Called "Freedom One," the aircraft is a special nod to members and veterans of the armed forces. Brian then spent time with Seth and his family, answering questions about his time in the Air Force.

Captain Udell did not have to do anything, yet he took the time to make a young boy's day. This is a credit not only to Udell but also to Southwest Airlines employees in general and is why so many people love Southwest Airlines.

What do you think about Captain Udell meeting with Seth? Please tell us your thoughts in the comments.