Low on fuel, "Bockscar" barely made it to the runway on Okinawa. With only enough fuel for one landing attempt, Sweeney brought "Bockscar" in fast and hard, ordering every available distress flare on board to be fired as he did so. The number two engine died from fuel starvation as "Bockscar" began its final approach. Touching the runway hard, the heavy B-29 slewed left and towards a row of parked B-24 bombers before the pilots managed to regain control. With both pilots standing on the brakes, Sweeney made a swerving 90-degree turn at the end of the runway to avoid going over the cliff into the ocean. 2nd Lt. Jacob Beser recalled that at this point, two engines had died from fuel exhaustion, while "the centrifugal force resulting from the turn was almost enough to put us through the side of the airplane."