The Mammoth Book of Air Disasters and Near Misses

Author: Paul Simpson
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1780338295
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 603

Book Description
An incredible 30,000 flights – at least – arrive safely at their destinations every day. But a handful don’t, while some come terrifyingly close to crashing. When even the smallest thing does go wrong at 35,000 feet, the result is nearly always a fast-unfolding tragedy. This extensive collection of compelling real-life accounts of air disasters and near-disasters provides a sobering, alternative history of the just over 105 years that passengers have been travelling by air, from the very earliest fatality to recent calamities. But there are incredible stories of heroism against the odds, too, such as that of Captain Chesley Sullenberger who successfully landed his aircraft with both engines gone on the Hudson River in New York, saving the lives of everyone aboard, and of the American Airlines crew who prevented terrorist Richard Reid from exploding a bomb hidden in his shoe three months after 9/11. The book also details the often ingenious, always painstaking work done by air-accident investigators, while a glossary helps to clarify the occasional, inevitable bits of jargon.

Plane Crash

Author: George Bibel
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421424487
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 327

Book Description
Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- 1 Takeoff! -- 2 Takeoff (Never Mind!) -- 3 Controlling the Plane -- 4 Vanished! -- 5 Practice Makes Perfect -- 6 Turbulence -- 7 The 168-Ton Glider -- 8 Approach -- 9 Landing -- Epilogue -- Notes -- References -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y

The Crash Detectives

Author: Christine Negroni
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 178239642X
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 300

Book Description
A fascinating exploration of how humans and machines fail - leading to air disasters from Amelia Earhart to MH370 - and how the lessons learned from these accidents have made flying safer. In The Crash Detectives, veteran aviation journalist and air safety investigator Christine Negroni takes the reader inside crash investigations from the early days of the jet age to the present, including the search for answers about what happened to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. As Negroni dissects each accident, she explores the common themes and, most importantly, what has been learned from them to make planes safer. Indeed, as Negroni shows, virtually every aspect of modern pilot training, airline operation and aircraft design has been shaped by lessons learned from disaster. Along the way, she also details some miraculous saves, when quick-thinking pilots averted catastrophe and kept hundreds of people alive. Tying in aviation science, performance psychology and extensive interviews with pilots, engineers, human factors specialists, crash survivors and others involved in accidents all over the world, The Crash Detectives is an alternately terrifying and inspiring book that might just cure your fear of flying, and will definitely make you a more informed passenger.

Flight 232

Author: Laurence Gonzales
Publisher: W. W. Norton
ISBN: 9780393240023
Category : Aircraft accident victims
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Twenty-five years after the catastrophe, a dramatic and extraordinarily rare 360-degree view of the crash of a fully loaded jumbo jet.

Human Factors Models for Aviation Accident Analysis and Prevention

Author: Thomas G.C. Griffin
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1472432770
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Book Description
The investigation and modelling of aviation accident causation is dominated by linear models. Aviation is, however, a complex system and as such suffers from being artificially manipulated into non-complex models and methods. This book addresses this issue by developing a new approach to investigating aviation accident causation through information networks. These networks centralise communication and the flow of information as key indicators of a system’s health and risk. This holistic approach focuses on the system environment, the activity that takes place within it, the strategies used to conduct this activity, the way in which the constituent parts of the system (both human and non-human) interact and the behaviour required. Each stage of this book identifies and expands upon the potential of the information network approach, maintaining firm focus on the overall health of a system. The book’s new model offers many potential developments and some key areas are studied in this research. Through the centralisation of barriers and information nodes the method can be applied to almost any situation. The application of Bayesian mathematics to historical data populations provides scope for studying error migration and barrier manipulation. The book also provides application of these predictions to a flight simulator study for the purposes of validation. Beyond this it also discusses the applicability of the approach to industry. Through working with a legacy airline the methods discussed are used as the basis for a new and prospective safety management system.

Bracing for Impact

Author: Robin Suerig Holleran
Publisher: Skyhorse
ISBN: 1510700323
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 205

Book Description
“Surviving is a true blessing that few get to experience.” Being strapped in the seat of a plane as it plunges into a nosedive midair is everyone’s worst nightmare. Bracing for Impact’s compilers and contributors know. They have both lived out that fear and survived, albeit badly hurt, in their own plane crashes. In this collection of true-life survivor tales, people from all walks of life—a freelance writer, a crew member of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band, a naval flight surgeon, a teenager, and a newlywed on her honeymoon, among others—recount their traumatic narrow escapes as engines stalled, fuel ran out, hazardous weather conditions descended, and landings did not go according to plan. In the face of death, as life flashed before their eyes—or not, as some wryly note—these survivors encountered the terrific split of before and after the crash. Their lives, though preserved, would change forever. Perhaps more significant than the crash itself is how each story plays out in the aftermath of the ordeal. In heart-wrenching, unrelenting honesty, these stories explore the wide spectrum of impacts on survivors—ranging from debilitating fear, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse, to a renewed sense of urgency, where survivors swear to live each day to the fullest and rededicate their lives to helping others. Including the 1977 story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that killed lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and vocalist Cassie Gaines, Bracing for Impact is as much a horrific account of air disasters as it is a celebration and recognition of the people who survived them. Fans of the 2016 Clint Eastwood film Sully starring Tom Hanks will enjoy this edge-of-your-seat read!

Flying without Fear

Author: Duane Brown
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
ISBN: 1608825027
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 186

Book Description
It starts with an innocent, altogether reasonable worry: What if the plane has a mechanical defect? What if I have a panic attack? Then the anxious thoughts multiply. You may know that these fears are irrational, but that doesn't slow them down. And before you know it, the risks of flying seem so great, you can't even think about getting on a plane. It's easy to keep aerophobia at bay for years by simply avoiding air travel. But amid all the lost vacations, missed opportunities for business travel, and rare visits to far-flung loved ones, you may decide it's time to put away your fear of flying for good. Flying without Fear is an essential guidebook for the millions of people who have made that decision. Based in cognitive behavioral therapy, the program in this book will prepare you for every sight, sound, and sensation you will experience in the airport and airplane. This fully revised and updated edition also includes new information about terrorism concerns and airport security measures adopted after 9/11. •Practice the anxiety-stopping strategies in this book before you board the plane •Take this carry-on package of tips & techniques with you when you go •Fly anywhere with confidence and composure

Commercial Aviation Safety, Sixth Edition

Author: Stephen K. Cusick
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 125964183X
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 561

Book Description
Up-To-Date Coverage of Every Aspect of Commercial Aviation Safety Completely revised edition to fully align with current U.S. and international regulations, this hands-on resource clearly explains the principles and practices of commercial aviation safety—from accident investigations to Safety Management Systems. Commercial Aviation Safety, Sixth Edition, delivers authoritative information on today's risk management on the ground and in the air. The book offers the latest procedures, flight technologies, and accident statistics. You will learn about new and evolving challenges, such as lasers, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), cyberattacks, aircraft icing, and software bugs. Chapter outlines, review questions, and real-world incident examples are featured throughout. Coverage includes: • ICAO, FAA, EPA, TSA, and OSHA regulations • NTSB and ICAO accident investigation processes • Recording and reporting of safety data • U.S. and international aviation accident statistics • Accident causation models • The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) • Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Threat and Error Management (TEM) • Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) • Aircraft and air traffic control technologies and safety systems • Airport safety, including runway incursions • Aviation security, including the threats of intentional harm and terrorism • International and U.S. Aviation Safety Management Systems

Highest Duty

Author: Chesley B. Sullenberger
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061959537
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 354

Book Description
The inspirational autobiography of the hero pilot who landed a crippled flight in New York’s Hudson River—now a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks. On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director/producer Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart. Sully’s story is one of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through his life, in his military service, and in his work as an airline pilot. It reminds us all that, even in these days of conflict, tragedy and uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting for—that life’s challenges can be met if we’re ready for them. “His fascinating and deservedly praised memoir reflects on his childhood love for planes and an outstanding 42-year career as a pilot—as well as how he and his family coped with the onslaught of sudden celebrity.” —Publishers Weekly

Tiger in the Sea

Author: Eric Lindner
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493031570
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 359

Book Description
September 1962: On a moonless night over the raging Atlantic Ocean, a thousand miles from land, the engines of Flying Tiger flight 923 to Germany burst into flames, one by one. Pilot John Murray didn’t have long before the plane crashed headlong into the 20-foot waves at 120 mph. As the four flight attendants donned life vests, collected sharp objects, and explained how to brace for the ferocious impact, 68 passengers clung to their seats: elementary schoolchildren from Hawaii, a teenage newlywed from Germany, a disabled Normandy vet from Cape Cod, an immigrant from Mexico, and 30 recent graduates of the 82nd Airborne’s Jump School. They all expected to die. Murray radioed out “Mayday” as he attempted to fly down through gale-force winds into the rough water, hoping the plane didn’t break apart when it hit the sea. Only a handful of ships could pick up the distress call so far from land. The closest was a Swiss freighter 13 hours away. Dozens of other ships and planes from 9 countries abruptly changed course or scrambled from Canada, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, and Cornwall, all racing to the rescue—but they would take hours, or days, to arrive. From the cockpit, the blackness of the Atlantic grew ever closer. Could Murray do what no pilot had ever done—“land” a commercial airliner at night in a violent sea without everyone dying? And if he did, would rescuers find any survivors before they drowned or died from hypothermia in the icy water? The fate of Flying Tiger 923 riveted the world. Bulletins interrupted radio and TV programs. Headlines shouted off newspapers from London to LA. Frantic family members overwhelmed telephone switchboards. President Kennedy took a break from the brewing crises in Cuba and Mississippi to ask for hourly updates. Tiger in the Sea is a gripping tale of triumph, tragedy, unparalleled airmanship, and incredibly brave people from all walks of life. The author has pieced together the story—long hidden because of murky Cold War politics—through exhaustive research and reconstructed a true and inspiring tribute to the virtues of outside-the-box-thinking, teamwork, and hope.