Aviation Disasters: The World's Major Civil Airliner Crashes Since 1950

by David Gero

David Gero assembles a list of major air disasters since the 1950s across a wide spectrum of countries. He investigates every type of calamity, including those caused by appalling weather, mechanical failure, pilot error, inhospitable terrain and hostile action. The first incident of sabotage involving a commercial jetliner is covered, as is the first, much-feared crash of the jumbo jet era. High-profile episodes such as that of Pan American Flight 103 at Lockerbie in 1988 and the Twin Towers tragedy of 11 September 2001 are examined alongside less well-known disasters. An overview of the history of air passenger travel over the decades provides context, contrasting the rise of the threat of terrorism since the 1970s with the improvements rooted in the massively increased technological safeguards now available. The positive aspects of these tragedies are examined, such as the development of the many new technologies that help civil aviation authorities to prevent or minimize risks. Sophisticated control, navigation and safety aids have now become available to airlines, many having arisen directly from the recommendations of investigating boards.

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction, History

368 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1996

Reviews

[Tom Mahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good nuts and bolts look at civil aviation mishaps from 1950 until 2006. I love reading about disasters of any kind, so this was right up my alley. A bit dry after awhile, but very interesting to learn what caused what, and also most crashes involved cockpit voice recorders, so you could hear a lot of what went on before the crash.

[Kerry Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of air crashes since 1950. Some are long others are just a short description. It's quite technical and very small writing so not an easy read. I found it really fascinating especially seeing how the industry has learned and moved on from the crashes.

[Kady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very academic, but also very interesting. I was familiar with some of the bigger crashes from the show MayDay but this book had more and different crashes as well.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the TV series Air Crash Investigation\Mayday, then this is a book that will be right up your alley.

The author has compiled information about the major air accidents that have occurred since the 1950s up until about the mid 2000s, and they all provide a fascinating insight into what went wrong and what was learnt. The book is well written and usually goes into excellent detail, although some USSR-era incidents are lacking in information, likely due to the fact that such information is not easy to come by or simply doesn't exist, and some of the more recent incidents that did not have complete reports at the time of writing are also lacking however such omissions can't be held against the author.

It obviously will not be everyone's cup of tea (I personally found it excellent bedtime reading but that's just me), but if you have even a slight interest in this field, it is well worth a read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling, disturbing, detailed. I have always had a fascination with flight, and this book covers literally all the major avaiation disasters since 1950. The biggest takeaway is that when it comes to air travel, the victims of these disasters have literally given their lives to make it safer to fly. What we have learned from each and every disaster has made flying much safer. The disasters cover a variety of causes from human to mechanical to environmental. Most of the book is written in language the layman can understand, however in some cases it became too technical. This is not a major criticism, since the book is extremely detailed and thorough. You might come to the conclusion, as I did, that human progress exacts a toll and it can be horrifying. However, it has also changed our world in mostly positive ways.

[De Stewart-otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

DS (12) read this book from cover to cover, including reading aloud to me. (Just what a white-knuckle flyer mom wants to hear). The author provides detailed technical explanations of investigations, what went wrong, and the lessons learned from each crash that led to improvements in subsequent air travel that have made it safer for all of us. I was amazed with the number of air crashes in the 1950s and 1960s, while commercial air travel was still in it's infancy. We were obviously a country hooked on air travel, while all the "quirks" were being worked out. This book is college level reading.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and informative. I wanted more. (Well, not more aviation disasters, just more to the book.) I ended up reading the next edition that came out later to stay well informed. I learned so much about airline crashes and what causes them. The detail that is brought out in this book is fantastic. Though most people thought I was reading a terribly gruesome book, I didn't feel that way. I remembered some of these crashes and was interested in the detail behind them. The author has done a fantastic job.

[Zara's Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that gives you a concise synopsis into the accident, how it happened, and recommendations to prevent it happening again. The way this book is set-up allows the reader to pick up the book and read a small bit and then put it down again before reading any more. It’s great for people who want to read something quickly because they don’t have the time to read lots of information in one hit.

The different air crashes are divided in year sections and then they are grouped chronologically started at the oldest and ending with the most recent one in the year group. Each one includes the date it happened and the time; where it happened; the airline and aircraft type. It’s easy and enjoyable to read. It would be a great reference book for anyone’s bookshelf.