Air Disaster (Vol. 1)
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1875671110
Manufacturer: Aerospace Publications
Average Customer Review: 
(From 27 total reviews)
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Editorial Reviews
Book Description:
Air Disaster 1 looks at the major aviation disasters of the jet age covering 1952 to 1977, from the early Comet, 707, Caravelle and Trident days through to the era of the widebody long range jetliner.
Each chapter on each accident is a highly involved detective story in itself, one the reader lives through as if you were intimately involved with the outcome.
Air Disaster 1 begins with the incredible story of the Comet mysteries where aeronautical engineers learnt that metal structures and pressurisation were indeed a new art, and follows on to investigate the TriStar which descended into the Everglades at night while its crew fumbled about on the cockpit floor, the early problems with the DC-10’s cargo door, and the horrific 747 collision at Tenerife.
Some others may come as a surprise - the fate that awaited the Caravelle whose crew used its engines to clear fog from the runway for takeoff, and the DC-9 caught in the wake turbulence of a DC-10.
Each of the 18 accidents has been carefully selected to present a different facet of the problems facing the jet age, together with the answers that were found to them - different, rarely straightforward and uncovered only as a result of lengthy, dedicated, and painstaking investigation.
Of 186 pages, Air Disaster Vol 1 makes compelling reading and is backed up with the excellent descriptive artwork, diagrams and maps of Matthew Tesch.
Customer Reviews
Nice illustrations by Sarah Sammis
There are many ways to test a new invention or a modification but sometimes things are missed or not even thought of until something fails. In the case of airplanes, a failure often times results in loss of life. Air Disaster Volume 1 follows the lessons learned from various jet airplane crashes. The stories aren’t overly technical but their presentation in the form of an oversized book and three column layout with a tiny font makes for difficult reading. I also found the presentation of the stories rather dry and in the process noticed a number of typographical errors.
The best and most informative part of Air Disaster is how it is illustrated. Each chapter has many charts, diagrams and photographs from the crash being discussed. There are at least three volumes in this this series but I’m not inspired enough to read further.
The best and most riveting aircraft accident analysis series on the market! by Andy Rosenblum
The entire series of aircraft analysis books by Macarthur Job is the most complete and riveting account of aircraft accidents you will find anywhere. He takes you inside the cockpit and inside the minds of the pilots during some of the most harrowing circumstances imaginable. Once you start reading the books in this series, there is simply no way to put them down. If you’re planning on purchasing volume 1, then go right ahead and purchase the remaining 3 volumes. They are that good. Really! Through detailed analysis of what is taking place in the cockpit, the reader feels as though he or she is actually on the flight deck, immersed in a real life or death situation. Unfortunately, the majority of incidences end in disaster, with no lives saved. This series is perfect for the professional pilot, those casually interested in aviation, or those who enjoy a good detective story. When all is said and done, Macarthur Job writes and illustrates each disaster in such incredible detail, that even the best fiction or non-fiction detective crime writers are left well behind. These are real stories about real people and real events. Nothing could surpass the suspense the reader will feel while reading these amazing books. While several of the real life stories involve mechanical problems with the aircraft, a good number involve errors made by the flight crew. Many of the flight crew errors start out as minor, insignificant incidents that snowball into terrifying scenarios that soon spiral out of control. Even pilots with tens of thousands of hours of flying time, including flight training instructors are not immune to the domino effect that can take place when a seemingly simple situation quickly turns into a Mayday doomsday scenario. These books are of great educational value to pilots, as they display in real time how important the communication is between all members of the flight crew. If all members don’t work together as one complete unit, and something should go wrong, it is imperative that all members of the flight crew quickly get on the same wavelength, otherwise disaster is a real possibility. Of course, the flight crew should be working as a team at the get-go, not when disaster looms. The series includes a story of an aircraft flight crew, fatigued by being held on the ground for an extended period of time, failing to go through their pre-flight checklist. The unlucky flight-crew, failed to lower the flaps and adjust the slats for takeoff, the warning system failed, the flight attained only 37 feet of altitude, crashed and killed all those on board. This accident was due to a miscommunication between the pilot and copilot, both highly experienced, but both making a fatal mistake that should never have occurred. The added consequence of a malfunctioning warning system, sealed the fate of the crew and passengers. My only regret about the series is that it seems as though Mr. Job has retired from writing any more books in this series, but if by chance he does, I’ll be the first to purchase a copy on Amazon.com.
Excellent Book, Excellent Series by Christopher B. Darr
It’s hard to imagine that training manuals for crew members or crash investigators could be much more thorough. This book is must-reading for any serious student of airline safety. The illustrations are numerous and extremely detailed. The photographs give the reader an appropriate sense of the scale of each disaster. As someone else mentioned here, a few photos may be distressing to the unprepared, but are never distasteful.
The final chapter, covering the Tenerife 747 collision in 1977, is by far the most detailed coverage I’ve seen of history’s worst air diaster. Job covers all the bases, ultimately attributing the disaster to a combination of independent incidents (terrorist bomb, fog, communications, etc.) and not soley to KLM captain Van Zanten’s impatience to get underway. Very intelligent, even-handed coverage of each incident.
I recommend purchasing the entire series. I am not a pilot, engineer or mechanic, but I’ve learned an great deal about the design and operation of commercial airliners from these books.
Fascinating study of the dark side of flying by Peter Louw
Being a flight simulator enthusiast I bought this book to improve my knowledge of jet airliners, after establishing from internet reviews that Mr Job’s books on the subject of air disasters are considered to be brilliant. I was not disappointed, and have already ordered Volume 2.
I have always loved acquiring knowledge through case histories - in other words, not just reading the sometimes dry textbooks which provide general principles, but also studying specific cases that illustrate those principles graphically and dramatically, and in the wider context of real, fallible people experiencing those principles in a practical way.
Volume 1 covers the period from 1952 to 1977, the last case being the greatest air disaster in history (not counting the 9/11 tragedy) when two jumbo jets collided at Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people.
Both the author and the illustrator are commercial pilots themselves, adding to the firm grasp they have on the subject and the insights they bring. However the text is never dull like some of the official disaster investigation reports on which Mr Job has drawn as sources. Being an excellent writer he is aware of the inherent drama and uses it to full effect without ever becoming sensationalist or disrespectful toward those who have lost their lives.
Nor is he vindictive or judgmental toward pilots who have shown errors in judgment. The author’s approach is summarised in the introduction: “In identifying the pilots and other crew members unfortunate enough to be caught up in the outworking of these unhappy but immensely valuable learning experiences, the book seeks only to be authentic in `telling it as it was’. Indeed, in preparing the material for publication, the author and the illustrator were continually reminded that `there but for the grace of God go I’.”
It is also good to see that Mr Job does not merely echo the findings of the boards of investigation, but critically evaluates those findings, as in the case of the disastrous landing of a Boeing 727 at the small Caribbean island airport of St Thomas in 1976.
The selection of accidents has been chosen carefully to highlight particular aspects of modern jet flying and its potential hazards. These are not just stupid accidents - in many cases one can understand why the crew acted the way they did and sympathise with them even though, with the easy wisdom of hindsight, they acted incorrectly. Consider, for instance, the case of the captain of the BEA Hawker Siddeley Trident who may have suffered a heart attack while ascending from London’s Heathrow airport in 1972. The plane crashed soon after takeoff, killing the crew and its 112 passengers. The captain’s illness probably set off a series of events resulting in the crew failing to control the plane. Like so many accidents this one, too, resulted from a combination of unfortunate factors rather than a single event.
Any criticisms? Not really. On occasion the technical detail is slightly overwhelming. Initially I was disappointed to find that the numerous and excellent illustrations and photographs are black and white, obviously to keep the price down, but I soon got used to it and the lack of colour does not really impact on one’s understanding.
Would I recommend it to someone suffering from fear of flying? I’m not so sure. The 18 case histories described in the book make it clear that the airline industry in general has succeeded in achieving passenger transport safety standards unequalled in transport history. On the other hand, the subject is by its very nature rather grim. This is the dark side of flying, and I had to remind myself continually that the risk of air accidents, though always present and ready to confront the unwary pilot, is only a minute part of the immensely varied world of flying and should not be allowed to become a morbid obsessional fear.
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