We’ve all heard the statistic before: 1 in 11 million. That’s the average American’s annual risk of being killed in a plane crash. Usually it’s followed by this statistic: 1 in 5,000 — the much higher annual risk of dying in a car crash. So why are so many people afraid of flying?
Well, for one thing, we have little to no control over our fate once the cabin doors close. At least in a car, there’s a chance that we’ll act in time to avoid an accident. On a plane, you’re “strapped and trapped” and utterly powerless.
We’ve gathered together here a collection of books about aviation disasters — along with some near-misses. Some are fact and some are fiction, but all are examples of what can go wrong between the runway and 35,000 feet.
Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home
by Nando Parrado
Very, very rarely is there a survivor in a plane crash, never mind multiple survivors. This is the story of Nando Parrado, one of the 16 survivors of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. The plane was chartered by a rugby team en route to Santiago, Chile, for a game when the pilot mistook his descent and crashed into the Andes mountains. While there were many survivors initially, the group was stranded on a glacier at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level with almost no supplies and no means of summoning help. Over the course of the next 72 days, many would succumb to their injuries and freezing temperatures — and a handful of others, lead by Parrado, would muster the courage to trek 45 miles over the frozen mountain for help. It’s an incredible story of miracles mixed with tragedy, but most of all, the human will to survive.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
Final Flight
by Eric C. Anderson
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 left Kuala Lumpur on a six-hour trip to Beijing. But not long after takeoff, air traffic control lost contact with the Boeing 777. It never landed. Or, more accurately, we don’t know where it landed after running out of fuel seven hours later. It’s one of the most compelling aviation mysteries of our time. It is this event — and a possible explanation of what happened — that forms the kernel for Eric C. Anderson’s what-if scenario in this fictional thriller about sabotaged airplanes. It’s a tale of international competition, corporate skulduggery and organized crime. Powerful people with few morals and the hardworking (but somewhat hapless) regular guys who work for them. And lots of dead passengers. (Read our full review here.)
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
The Dangers of Automation in Airliners
by Jack J. Hersch
If you are in search of riveting, edge-of-your-seat, real-life stories about people in grave distress looking for a way out, consider this thoroughly researched book by instrument-rated commercial pilot Jack J. Hersch. The book delves into the confluence of modern airplane technology and pilot behavior to probe how and why flight disasters happen. He focuses in particular on nine flight incidents and seven crashes over 10 years, intricately dissecting what went wrong and even factoring in the competence and frame of mind of the pilots. While Hersch acknowledges the contributions technology has played in improving air travel, he contends that the ability for pilots to switch into “autopilot” and essentially let technology fly the plane opens the possibility for pilots to lose focus and not be prepared when they need to manage a crisis. To say Hersch makes readers feel like they are in the cockpit is not cliché, making for a satisfying read for those interested in what can and does go wrong in flight. (Read our full review here.)
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
Lockout
by John J. Nance
If you like thrillers about aviation, look no further than John J. Nance. An American pilot and aviation safety expert, Nance served in the USAF during Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. He’s known for his many bestselling thrillers featuring nail-biting aviation events of all stripes. In this one, the automated systems of a huge Airbus 330 en route from the Middle East disconnects all cockpit controls and reverses course on its own. The crew at first senses nothing; the flight displays still showing them on course to New York. But it soon becomes apparent that the flight has been electronically hijacked and there is nothing they can do about it. They are pawns in a hostage game that involves a plot to spark a nuclear war. As time and fuel run low, Capt. Jerry Tollefson and First Officer Dan Horneman will risk everything to wrest control from the electronic ghost holding them — and perhaps the world — on a course to certain disaster.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival
by Laurence Gonzales
Here’s another air disaster with an incredible story to tell. As hundreds of rescue workers waited on the ground, United Airlines Flight 232 wallowed drunkenly over the bluffs northwest of Sioux City. The plane slammed onto the runway and burst into a vast fireball. The rescuers didn’t move at first: nobody could possibly survive that crash. And then people began emerging from the summer corn that lined the runways. Miraculously, 184 of 296 passengers lived. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors, crew, and airport and rescue personnel, Laurence Gonzales, a commercial pilot himself, reconstructs the incident, capturing minute by minute the harrowing journey of pilots flying a plane with no controls and flight attendants keeping their calm in the face of certain death.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
Sully: My Search for What Really Matters
by Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III
This is the true story of a near-miss with disaster that ends with no deaths at all. On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, losing all engine power. What happened next was an incredible feat of piloting skill. Captain “Sully” Sullenberger skillfully glided the plane onto the Hudson River in an emergency landing known in aviation terms as “ditching,” saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew in the process. His cool-headed actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. 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.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Bookshop
The World’s Worst Aircraft
by Jim Winchester (Barnes & Noble Books)
This is a book about aviation disasters of a different kind. From pioneering failures to multimillion-dollar disasters, this small-format coffee table style book features 150 of the worst aircraft ever to leave the drawing board, from the Seddon Mayfly, which didn’t fly, to a flying tank which surprisingly did. It includes a brief history of each aircraft design, explaining why the idea didn’t take off. Each aircraft type is illustrated with annotated photography and artwork, highlighting key faults and unusual design features. It’s a super fun read, particularly the strange flying machines invented and tested during the birth of aviation. Many will leave you shaking your head in awe of misguided engineering. The book is part of an equally entertaining series by Barnes & Noble books that includes The World’s Worst Weapons and The World’s Worst Cars.
Amazon | IndieBound | Bookshop
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Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado
Very, very rarely is there a survivor in a plane crash, never mind multiple survivors. This is the story of Nando Parrado, one of the 16 survivors of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. The plane was chartered by a rugby team en route to Santiago, Chile, for a game when the pilot mistook his descent and crashed into the Andes mountains. While there were many survivors initially, the group was stranded on a glacier at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level with almost no supplies and no means of summoning help. Over the course of the next 72 days, many would succumb to their injuries and freezing temperatures — and a handful of others, lead by Parrado, would muster the courage to trek 45 miles over the frozen mountain for help. It’s an incredible story of miracles mixed with tragedy, but most of all, the human will to survive.
Final Flight by Eric C. Anderson
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 left Kuala Lumpur on a six-hour trip to Beijing. But not long after takeoff, air traffic control lost contact with the Boeing 777. It never landed. Or, more accurately, we don’t know where it landed after running out of fuel seven hours later. It’s one of the most compelling aviation mysteries of our time. It is this event — and a possible explanation of what happened — that forms the kernel for Eric C. Anderson’s what-if scenario in this fictional thriller about sabotaged airplanes. It’s a tale of international competition, corporate skulduggery and organized crime. Powerful people with few morals and the hardworking (but somewhat hapless) regular guys who work for them. And lots of dead passengers. (Read our full review here.)
The Dangers of Automation in Airliners by Jack J. Hersch
If you are in search of riveting, edge-of-your-seat, real-life stories about people in grave distress looking for a way out, consider this thoroughly researched book by instrument-rated commercial pilot Jack J. Hersch. The book delves into the confluence of modern airplane technology and pilot behavior to probe how and why flight disasters happen. He focuses in particular on nine flight incidents and seven crashes over 10 years, intricately dissecting what went wrong and even factoring in the competence and frame of mind of the pilots. While Hersch acknowledges the contributions technology has played in improving air travel, he contends that the ability for pilots to switch into “autopilot” and essentially let technology fly the plane opens the possibility for pilots to lose focus and not be prepared when they need to manage a crisis. To say Hersch makes readers feel like they are in the cockpit is not cliché, making for a satisfying read for those interested in what can and does go wrong in flight. (Read our full review here.)
Lockout by John J. Nance
If you like thrillers about aviation, look no further than John J. Nance. An American pilot and aviation safety expert, Nance served in the USAF during Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. He’s known for his many bestselling thrillers featuring nail-biting aviation events of all stripes. In this one, the automated systems of a huge Airbus 330 en route from the Middle East disconnects all cockpit controls and reverses course on its own. The crew at first senses nothing; the flight displays still showing them on course to New York. But it soon becomes apparent that the flight has been electronically hijacked and there is nothing they can do about it. They are pawns in a hostage game that involves a plot to spark a nuclear war. As time and fuel run low, Capt. Jerry Tollefson and First Officer Dan Horneman will risk everything to wrest control from the electronic ghost holding them — and perhaps the world — on a course to certain disaster.
Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival by Laurence Gonzales
Here’s another air disaster with an incredible story to tell. As hundreds of rescue workers waited on the ground, United Airlines Flight 232 wallowed drunkenly over the bluffs northwest of Sioux City. The plane slammed onto the runway and burst into a vast fireball. The rescuers didn’t move at first: nobody could possibly survive that crash. And then people began emerging from the summer corn that lined the runways. Miraculously, 184 of 296 passengers lived. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors, crew, and airport and rescue personnel, Laurence Gonzales, a commercial pilot himself, reconstructs the incident, capturing minute by minute the harrowing journey of pilots flying a plane with no controls and flight attendants keeping their calm in the face of certain death.
Sully: My Search for What Really Matters by Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III
This is the true story of a near-miss with disaster that ends with no deaths at all. On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, losing all engine power. What happened next was an incredible feat of piloting skill. Captain “Sully” Sullenberger skillfully glided the plane onto the Hudson River in an emergency landing known in aviation terms as “ditching,” saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew in the process. His cool-headed actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. 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.
The World's Worst Aircraft by Jim Winchester
This is a book about aviation disasters of a different kind. From pioneering failures to multimillion-dollar disasters, this small-format coffee table style book features 150 of the worst aircraft ever to leave the drawing board, from the Seddon Mayfly, which didn’t fly, to a flying tank which surprisingly did. It includes a brief history of each aircraft design, explaining why the idea didn’t take off. Each aircraft type is illustrated with annotated photography and artwork, highlighting key faults and unusual design features. It’s a super fun read, particularly the strange flying machines invented and tested during the birth of aviation. Many will leave you shaking your head in awe of misguided engineering. The book is part of an equally entertaining series by Barnes & Noble books that includes The World’s Worst Weapons and The World’s Worst Cars.
