Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds: The Tragedy & Triumph of ASA Flight 529

by Gary M. Pomerantz

An American could fly on a turboprop run by a regional carrier once per day and not expect to die in a crash for 8,000 years, according to one estimate. That's small consolation to the 29 people who found themselves on ASA Flight 529 in 1995, when a faulty propeller cracked and destroyed one of their plane's engines. As Gary M. Pomerantz notes in Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds--the title refers to the length of time between the engine blowing and impact--"Of all the emergency checklists, there was none on how to fly with one wing." Pomerantz says his book is "not about a plane falling, but the human spirit rising." That's only part right. Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds has plenty of human-interest angles, but it mainly holds a morbid fascination akin to rubbernecking at the scene of a highway accident. Ever wonder what people do when they know they're about to crash and believe they might die? Herein lie the answers. (Unexpectedly, they don't scream.) Pomerantz conducted hundreds of interviews for this book, from the flight's 19 survivors to family members of the deceased to the mechanic who refurbished the bad propeller before it went back on the plane. It is by turns interesting, poignant, and harrowing. Readers drawn to stories of adversity will find it riveting. --John Miller

Genres: Nonfiction, Aviation, Survival, History, Biography, Audiobook

Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a strange fascination with aviation disasters. This story was particularly moving because this aircraft, which suffered a catastrophic engine failure that essentially left it "flying" on one wing, was in the air for nine minutes and twenty seconds after the failure. The story of what happened during that time and after after impact is quite compelling. Based on interviews of the 19 survivors.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 departed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on August 21, 1995. There were twenty six passengers and three crew members aboard the plane on this flight. Not long after takeoff, a loud noise was heard and an engine failed. Captain Ed Gannaway and First Officer Matthew Warmerdam were both skilled pilots, with many flight hours logged. They attempted to return to the airport for an emergency landing, but the plane began a rapid and uncontrollable descent due to excessive drag and sudden loss of lift on one side of the plane. The pilots decided to conduct an emergency landing in a field. The landing was devastating, with Gannaway dying on impact. The plane's fuel tanks burst into flame, causing nine people to die in the aftermath due to burns. There were also a number of other injuries due to both the crash and the fire.

This book was another one of my used bookstore finds. The author of this book uses survivor's accounts of the disaster to convey what the crash was like. I always appreciate first person accounts, because they really drive home what an experience was like. There was also plenty of research and information taken from other sources about the cause of the crash. I thought this was a very informative book, and if you are a person who likes disasters or are interested in aircraft, you would probably like this book.

[Selah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another truly incredible story. Absolutely gut-wrenchingly raw, and beautiful in reality and redemption. Love it!

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am admittedly fascinated by life’s traumatic events so keep that in mind going into my review. I was fascinated from the first page. Yes the book is a bit repetitive, yes it jumps around a bit… but by the time I finished, I was 100% invested in the lives of all 29 people on that plane as well as those involved on the ground. It’s heartbreaking and uplifting and I find myself compelled to try and discover where the survivors are today. I’m also left trying to imagine how I would have behaved in those 9 minutes and 20 seconds.

[Casey Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep dive into the emotions and details of how a small propeller plane landed in a field in the south. The story has overtures of joy with an undertone of sorrow and in some cases, guilt and regret. There’s a motif of self preservation coinciding with the need to serve others - seen in the passengers, as well as adjacent characters including the emergency medicine physician. A thrilling read about a real life event, notably at the expense of lives lost and severe emotional and physical trauma.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate this is based in a true story and that the facts don't need to be embellished, but there were so many characters and names and it all became very difficult to keep track of. It was dull, then it was really sad then it was over. It felt more like the author was showing off about how much research he'd done. Very mixed feelings.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done for such a sensitive subject. Factual, poignant, brings you together with all the passengers and crew. Shares the before, during, and after.

[Shalaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful narrative, with a great insight into the human experience of living through a plane crash. It is something most of us will not go through but may imagine.

[Thad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suspect most strong reviews of this book are more in honor of the deceased and the survivors of the airplane crash detailed in this book. That's understandable. The story here - which is about the precise details around the cause of, events preceding, passengers affected by, occurrence of, reaction to, investigation of, and industry-wide impact of a particular commercial plane crash - is gripping, and one that will forever change your attitude about flight and the frailty of life in an aluminum tube surrounded by high-test fuel. But the title is misleading. Only a fraction of this book concerns the nine minutes and twenty seconds that elapsed from the time that ASA Flight 529's propeller exploded to the ground impact - in fact, that is about the amount of reading time needed to cover the pertinent text. That's disappointing insofar as that was a selling point of the book - a chance to hear from survivors who experienced what any modern traveler has thought about, which is to face the reality of the risks that underlie all those frequent flier miles and little bags of peanuts (the inflight magazine never mentions the wisdom of wearing cotton clothing and running shoes, or the grit that might be needed to leap with broken bones through a blazing curtain of aviation fuel). No - most of the book is a respectful biographical review of the living and dead, both pre- and post-crash. So, for the reader is more interested in the miracle and the consequences of flight, an account of some gutsy and selfless flying in the face of death, and a clinical review of crash mechanics, this book will leave you wanting. For the others who are willing to be exposed to some hard but true stories of tragedy and survival, this is a fair book.

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting, horrifying, heart-breaking … and ultimately amazing … Gary M. Pomerantz’s Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds tells the real-life story of every air traveler's worst nightmare.

In August 1995, Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) Flight 529 was in route from Atlanta, GA to Gulfport, MS with twenty-nine passengers and crew aboard. High in the clouds, one of the commuter plane’s propeller blades snapped, destroying the airplane’s left engine and severely compromising the left wing. Nine minutes and twenty seconds later, after a heroic but ultimately futile battle to keep the wounded plane aloft, the Embraer EMB-120 plummeted into a west Georgia hayfield, the fuselage tearing in two as the aircraft skidded across the dirt and ignited its spilled fuel.

Pomerantz tells the story of this terrible tragedy with astounding energy and meticulous detail, offering a moving, well researched account into the events that led up to the crash, the incident itself, and the aftermath. From the moment the propeller snaps, his prose is taunt – as gripping as any thriller – as the author counts down the flight’s final minutes and seconds with such power and agonizing detail that you can almost feel yourself sitting in that fuselage, the uncomfortable, strained drone of the plane’s remaining engine fighting for the sky, the cold, clammy feel of fear within the cabin, the bark of the flight attendant’s emergency instructions, like words from a bad dream in your head. It’s as close to an actual mid-emergency as I ever want to get, and Pomerantz’s unflinching gaze does not blink until well after the final rescue trucks have left the disaster scene.

The tension, the trauma, Pomerantz’s uncanny ability to describe an event – the final moments of a doomed aircraft -- that seem almost (maybe mercifully?) unknowable would have easily earned this book five stars, but what is more remarkable is that Pomerantz balances the rawness of the accident with a compassion for the people involved that, just as unflinchingly, bleeds through the pages. From the heroic crew, to the passengers, their families, the crash investigators, down to a simple man who worked in the factory that handled that critical, failed component, Pomerantz reconstructs their lives – their struggles, triumphs, tragedies, and recriminations -- with same level of detail that he uses to describe the events of the accident. It is just as raw, just as unblinking, but with an elegance and sensitivity that makes your heart ache for their suffering.

This is simply one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

P.S. The crash of ASA Flight 529 occurred just as I was entering the emergency management profession in a place not far from where I live. Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds is a book that I would recommend to any of my colleagues in the profession – not just for the power of the story and the skill with which it is told – but also because of the many disaster response and recovery elements it addresses. From the impact of spontaneous, civilian first responders to crisis events to the pain of survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress, these are issues with which anyone in emergency management must grapple. Likewise, there are plenty of dreadful stories about how the families of the victims of mass transportation accidents were treated prior to the protections offered under the landmark 1996 Aviation Disaster Assistance Act, a law which continues to guide emergency management response to mass transportation accidents to this day.

Additionally, since I happen to work for a faith-based disaster response organization, I would also suggest Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds as an important case study for professional emotional and spiritual care providers. Not to get too deeply into this (and without generalizing because religion is not a balm for everyone), the spiritual needs (and desire) for faith-based support services was astonishingly significant after this incident, not just among the crash’s survivors and the families of its victims, but all those associated with the event. Just as importantly, there is certainly some cautionary evidence to be taken from this book about the potential risks of vicarious trauma to the caregiver and its long-term negative effects.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nine Minutes and Twenty Seconds....that's all it took for the small commuter jet to fall out of the sky and crash in a field in Georgia, bursting into flames. This book is so well written...long before the the problem manifests itself, the reader knows about the background, family and personality of each of the flight crew and many of the passengers. Those nine minutes and twenty seconds are documented clearly. Who will live and who will die? Both the accident scene and terrible injuries of the survivors are portrayed brutally and honestly. The investigation by the NTSB was fascinating to me; their ability to recreate the events and discover clues from seemingly unimportant facts and objects is admirable. This book was a real page turner for me!

[Daniel Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the 6 CD version of this audiobook.

This is a mostly fact-oriented telling of the story, right thru the lawsuits, of this flight. Very comprehensive in detail altho a bit overly sentimental.

I didn't find the participants especially noteworthy except they were in this tragic accident. They had typical issues before the crash and afterwords, too. They didn't turn into saints or anything approaching it.

It is interesting to hear it in the mostly factual way it was presented, but not compelling.

[Codered Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a man who--in his forties, married, with children--quit his humdrum job to take up flying. Now he's working for peanuts, sweating away in the least glamorous corner of civil aviation when he's confronted with the single most difficult-to-manage airframe failure. When the plane comes to rest, nine minutes and twenty seconds later, every single one of the passengers and crew are alive. The unlikely pilot pulled off the most remarkable piece of flying I've ever heard of.

[Trailhoundz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, powerful book chronicling the crash of ASA Flight 529. I hate to fly, so this was a tough read at points- but in the end inspirational to see how so many survived and risked their lives for others. The airplane seating map at the front was nice but would have liked a photo insert (non fic books need photo inserts!). I liked how the author really researched and followed certain people on the flight, giving a well-rounded look at both flight crew and passengers- as well as the gentleman who worked on the propeller blade that ultimately shattered, causing the crash.

[Kayrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazingly written chronicle of an Embraer 120 ASA 529, that went down in a cornfield in Georgia. Starting with the technician that OK'd the propeller blade, to all those that were on board. This is a riveting portrayal of that day; the nine plus minutes in the sky, the horrific situation on the ground, and the outcome. Might be hard to read, if you have a loved one that is in the air a lot. Beautiful story.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so interesting to me. Being a flight attendant and having been in the training department I've seen the video with the flight attendant. But, this was so much more. You get to hear about all of the crew and all of the passengers, who they were before and after the accident. I hope that nothing even remotely like this ever happens on one of my flights.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtitled "The Tragedy and Triumph of ASA Flight 529". In August of 1995, a commuter plan bound for Gulfport, Mississippi took off from an Atlanta airport. Shortly after take-off, a propeller blade sheers off and mangles the left engine. Nine minutes, twenty seconds later, they crash into a hay field.

[Pandora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nine minutes and twenty seconds elapse between an explosion right after take off and when the plane crashes. This is a true story from the people on that plane. If you are already afraid of flying, do not read this book.

[Patrick Nichol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A seriously disturbing examination of a plane crash in progress. The title refers to the time it took for this aircraft to plunge to earth, killing almost everyone aboard in a fiery explosion. it's also an indictment of lax corporate oversight.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This crash was extensively covered by an episode of "Mayday" on the Discovery channel. The book adds some background on those involved, and the post accident emotional challenges faced by the survivors.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving story of terror in the sky when a plane crashed. This author did a fantastic piece of work finding out the cause, affect and aftermath when this
accident happened. He follows up on the families of the survivors and also the families that lost a loved one. Highly recommended.

[Amys · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story. I thought I'd never fly again after reading this book. It scared the heck out of me.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book a couple of times...rare! Don't read it on a flight! Fantastic examples of the human spirit and the will to survive.

[Magnoire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that not only delves in the investigation of the crash but the victims lives before and after the crash.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book for people afraid to fly!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're already anxious about flying, might not be a wise choice! ;) An informative book with the back story & aftermath about the people involved in this small plane crash.

[Pabloslist]

Time 26 passengers & 3 crew had to react to knowledge their plane would crash: heroes, cowards & causes

[Mary Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got so into this book, I ended up reading almost all of it in one night. Fascinating, riveting, disturbing. It is well written without pushing into melodrama.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept me on the edge of my seat through the crash, immediate aftermath and investigation, but the long-term follow-up re the survivors dragged.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well-researched and complete story of a single dramatic accident, including the causes and aftermath - but I wanted more tips on how to actually survive a plane crash!