What do you think?
Rate this book
Jack Lamburt #0
Airliner Down
"Action-packed and full of gripping scenes and unforgettable dialogue." - Clarion Book Review"This book truly shines after the major action begins, with frenzied passengers, an unexpected death, and a loaded gun in the mix" - Kirkus Review"Airliner Down is a tight thriller, told with meticulous details and furious with action." - Clarion Book Review
"AIRLINER DOWN is a fast-paced thriller in the spirit of Ward Larsen's PASSENGER 19. It starts strong with a gripping prologue and keeps ripping along until the last chapter!” - Judge, 5th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Awards "A suspenseful and action-packed aviation tale!" - Clarion Book Review"A gripping thriller!" - Self-Publishing Review"This book is a true feast for the mind!"- Clarion Book Review
Flight 2262 is bound for paradise, but a rogue terrorist could send it to the bottom of the ocean…
Kevin can’t wait to land in Hawaii for a romantic getaway. But when the off-duty pilot takes a glance at his GPS, he’s in for a the plane is headed to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And he’s the only one who knows it…Expecting the worst, Kevin heads to the cockpit. Before he can take the controls, he’s got a rookie air marshal, a stewardess with a grudge, and a barricade to get through.With a storm on the way and limited fuel, Kevin must recruit the support of the frightened passengers to save the day. As long as he can survive the one person on board who won’t rest until all of them are dead…Airliner Down is a fast-paced tech thriller that brings terror to the friendly skies. If you like pulse-pounding reads with compelling characters and chillingly real plots, then you’ll love John Etzil’s turbulent tale.Buy Airliner Down today to experience the fright of your life!
"AIRLINER DOWN is a fast-paced thriller in the spirit of Ward Larsen's PASSENGER 19. It starts strong with a gripping prologue and keeps ripping along until the last chapter!” - Judge, 5th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Awards "A suspenseful and action-packed aviation tale!" - Clarion Book Review"A gripping thriller!" - Self-Publishing Review"This book is a true feast for the mind!"- Clarion Book Review
Flight 2262 is bound for paradise, but a rogue terrorist could send it to the bottom of the ocean…
Kevin can’t wait to land in Hawaii for a romantic getaway. But when the off-duty pilot takes a glance at his GPS, he’s in for a the plane is headed to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And he’s the only one who knows it…Expecting the worst, Kevin heads to the cockpit. Before he can take the controls, he’s got a rookie air marshal, a stewardess with a grudge, and a barricade to get through.With a storm on the way and limited fuel, Kevin must recruit the support of the frightened passengers to save the day. As long as he can survive the one person on board who won’t rest until all of them are dead…Airliner Down is a fast-paced tech thriller that brings terror to the friendly skies. If you like pulse-pounding reads with compelling characters and chillingly real plots, then you’ll love John Etzil’s turbulent tale.Buy Airliner Down today to experience the fright of your life!
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2017
1809 people are currently reading
718 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
February 9, 2023
While this is a lead in to the Jack Lamburt series, it is not really a Jack Lamburt novel.
This is an old fashioned Irwin Allen movie in print.
A terrorist explodes a bomb in the nose of a jumbo jet, killing the pilot and test pilot. Luckily, a pilot is aboard the plane. Unfortunately, air marshals don't believe he's a pilot, and the terrorist is on board.
You can almost see someone like Lee Majors or Dennis Weaver appearing.
This is an old fashioned Irwin Allen movie in print.
A terrorist explodes a bomb in the nose of a jumbo jet, killing the pilot and test pilot. Luckily, a pilot is aboard the plane. Unfortunately, air marshals don't believe he's a pilot, and the terrorist is on board.
You can almost see someone like Lee Majors or Dennis Weaver appearing.
April 17, 2017
Thoroughly thrilling
A gripping suspense that keeps you glued to your seat and is nearly impossible to put down. I like to read a few chapters each day but was so engrossed that I read all night a few times. Thoroughly recommended.
A gripping suspense that keeps you glued to your seat and is nearly impossible to put down. I like to read a few chapters each day but was so engrossed that I read all night a few times. Thoroughly recommended.
July 8, 2020
Started out strong, but took some turns down 'unbelievable road'. I found myself rolling my eyes and skipping pages so...not for me.
June 22, 2017
I needed a book with an airplane on the cover for a reading competition here on Goodreads. So, I bought this ebook and thought it would take me a while to read it. Nope. It took me two days for me to read it. The first day, I stay up until around midnight reading it. The next day, I didn't want to leave the laundry mat when my clothes finished drying.
The aftereffects of the explosion felt very realistic to me. Since I don't know anything about aviation or explosions, I could be fooled. But, I found myself imagining the image of the plane with no roof in one area. The characters could look up and see the stars. However, the suspiciousness of the air marshall and his supervisor seemed to be unreal to me though.
The aftereffects of the explosion felt very realistic to me. Since I don't know anything about aviation or explosions, I could be fooled. But, I found myself imagining the image of the plane with no roof in one area. The characters could look up and see the stars. However, the suspiciousness of the air marshall and his supervisor seemed to be unreal to me though.
April 28, 2017
Wow! Action packed from start to finish.
The plot was too real for comfort with lots of twists and turns. The hero was good, a flawed, but decent man who was willing to do the right thing even at a cost to himself. The character development was good and the happy ending was hopeful, but not like a fairy tale. I will Read more of Mr. Etzils work.
The plot was too real for comfort with lots of twists and turns. The hero was good, a flawed, but decent man who was willing to do the right thing even at a cost to himself. The character development was good and the happy ending was hopeful, but not like a fairy tale. I will Read more of Mr. Etzils work.
April 13, 2021
I rate this 2 out of 5 stars. *Spoilers ahead.*
Compared to the other reviews on here, I wasn't very impressed with this book. The plot was simple enough: Kevin plans to meet his lover in Hawaii, and boards a plane hijacked with a bomb. When the bomb goes off, it's up to Kevin, a seasoned pilot himself, to figure out a way to safely land the plane and save as many lives as he can.
The beginning was the strongest part of the story, as it introduced us to the characters through different POVs (from Kevin's and the main terrorist's, Khalib), and provided a nice bit of backstory. Once the bomb goes off, however, the plane (and the plot) take a turn for the worse. The author, John Etzil, is a pilot of 20+ years, so I have little doubt in his accuracy of plane mechanics, but his writing is hard to read at times. His descriptions of plane/pilot knowledge are way too detailed for a thriller story as it significantly slows down the pacing. While impressed by the research, I found myself skipping through the gigantic chunks of exposition describing plane parts just to get back to the meat of the plot.
The characters were too bland for me to really root for. I wasn't too fond of the way the female characters were described, and the antagonist Khalib, was basically a walking stereotype of a Middle Eastern terrorist. I almost stopped reading halfway through due to my lack of interest, but checked the book's rating on Goodreads, which seemed promising. I personally didn't feel fulfilled by its conclusion and do not share the majority of other opinions on here.
Compared to the other reviews on here, I wasn't very impressed with this book. The plot was simple enough: Kevin plans to meet his lover in Hawaii, and boards a plane hijacked with a bomb. When the bomb goes off, it's up to Kevin, a seasoned pilot himself, to figure out a way to safely land the plane and save as many lives as he can.
The beginning was the strongest part of the story, as it introduced us to the characters through different POVs (from Kevin's and the main terrorist's, Khalib), and provided a nice bit of backstory. Once the bomb goes off, however, the plane (and the plot) take a turn for the worse. The author, John Etzil, is a pilot of 20+ years, so I have little doubt in his accuracy of plane mechanics, but his writing is hard to read at times. His descriptions of plane/pilot knowledge are way too detailed for a thriller story as it significantly slows down the pacing. While impressed by the research, I found myself skipping through the gigantic chunks of exposition describing plane parts just to get back to the meat of the plot.
The characters were too bland for me to really root for. I wasn't too fond of the way the female characters were described, and the antagonist Khalib, was basically a walking stereotype of a Middle Eastern terrorist. I almost stopped reading halfway through due to my lack of interest, but checked the book's rating on Goodreads, which seemed promising. I personally didn't feel fulfilled by its conclusion and do not share the majority of other opinions on here.
September 5, 2021
I'm wondering if this book was written by a young male teenager, just coming in to puberty. There was not a single female in the book that did not have the size of her breasts described by the author. This 'could' have been a good read if he had left out: boob descriptions, butt descriptions, islamaphobia, misogyny, and racial profiling. He describes all the 'bad guys' as having dark skin or as Muslim. Oddly, with what is going on in Afghanistan right now, it seems backwards. The 9-11 highjackers and terrorists were all Saudi, not Afghan. The author's description of Jack as a later tormentor of Kalib is ridiculous. I can say with certainty that covert ops would not antagonize a potential source of future leads. I had high hopes for this book. Nope!
April 17, 2017
A good story; a little slow to back away from the terminal, then accelerates to take-off!
But a terrorist wants to make this the last flight.
Over all, a good read - would make a great movie with a lot of action.
But a terrorist wants to make this the last flight.
Over all, a good read - would make a great movie with a lot of action.
October 24, 2019
Could not get interested in the story, too much drooling by the main character in the first few pages caused me to close the app. and pick-up another book.
October 8, 2017
Airliner Down by John Etzil is a sit on the edge of your seat suspense story that is difficult to put down. Two hours into the flight to Hawaii, a bomb explodes in the nose of the aircraft and has devastating results on the passenger jet; a portion of the fuselage is blown away and passengers, still belted into their seats, are sucked out enmass into the atmosphere. Miraculously, the plane is still flying but nobody is able to communicate with the pilots. Are they still alive? Who is flying the plane? Will the survivors land safely in the tropical paradise? Who will save them?
Kevin, an off-duty pilot and passenger is en-route to Hawaii to meet a fellow employee for a week-long vacation. After the explosion, he checks his phone's gps app to check their location and search for nearby islands in the event they have to ditch in the ocean. What he discovers is that the flight has veered off the route and was flying away from their destination and heading into the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean - so far off the beaten path that nobody will think to search there for them. Is there enough fuel? How long do they have left before the airliner nose dives into the deep seas?
Now the pace quickens as time is against them. How do they change directions? The pilots are not responding and it's almost impossible to get into the cockpit to make the necessary changes. They're doomed unless Kevin, with the help of a former airline mechanic, and a couple kids can save the day. However, nobody expected the terrorist who originally planted the bomb to be on the aircraft with them - and he still wants everyone aboard to die!
Well worth reading to see the outcome. Well done Mr. Etzil!
John Podlaski, author
"Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel" and "When Can I Stop Running?"
Kevin, an off-duty pilot and passenger is en-route to Hawaii to meet a fellow employee for a week-long vacation. After the explosion, he checks his phone's gps app to check their location and search for nearby islands in the event they have to ditch in the ocean. What he discovers is that the flight has veered off the route and was flying away from their destination and heading into the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean - so far off the beaten path that nobody will think to search there for them. Is there enough fuel? How long do they have left before the airliner nose dives into the deep seas?
Now the pace quickens as time is against them. How do they change directions? The pilots are not responding and it's almost impossible to get into the cockpit to make the necessary changes. They're doomed unless Kevin, with the help of a former airline mechanic, and a couple kids can save the day. However, nobody expected the terrorist who originally planted the bomb to be on the aircraft with them - and he still wants everyone aboard to die!
Well worth reading to see the outcome. Well done Mr. Etzil!
John Podlaski, author
"Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel" and "When Can I Stop Running?"
May 3, 2017
I have to say that this was really a fantastic novel. It was almost like a fast paced Quentin Tarantino movie! It had everything that would come to mind when looking at the cover and more but one thing I really liked was how informative and accurately detailed the book got into aviation, the science behind being up in the skies, etc. You can tell the author did his homework or is a seasoned pilot. I would classify this one as a quality thriller fiction novel or more specifically an airline thriller.
May 29, 2017
E-Reader Thriller
This book will take you to places & images described you want to read. But wht off duty pilot Kevin Mc Sorely goes through is amazing. There is a terrorist on board who wants them all dead.
The aircraft staff on Flight 2262 bound for Hawaii from LAX, show amazing courage. The new Air Marshall & his trained are a hindrance.
Read this book to the end to find out about all the people involved & the outcome.
This author writes well, I hope you read this book.
This book will take you to places & images described you want to read. But wht off duty pilot Kevin Mc Sorely goes through is amazing. There is a terrorist on board who wants them all dead.
The aircraft staff on Flight 2262 bound for Hawaii from LAX, show amazing courage. The new Air Marshall & his trained are a hindrance.
Read this book to the end to find out about all the people involved & the outcome.
This author writes well, I hope you read this book.
April 26, 2017
I enjoyed reading it. The script did not big down too many times. I will definitely read more of his books. Thankfully cathey
The plot stuck pretty much to the direction of was going in, instead of going off track. The ending didn't leave you hanging, it completed the story. There were no misprints, which I can't believe how many I see and wonder who is doing the proof reading. I am an avid reader and enjoyed the book
The plot stuck pretty much to the direction of was going in, instead of going off track. The ending didn't leave you hanging, it completed the story. There were no misprints, which I can't believe how many I see and wonder who is doing the proof reading. I am an avid reader and enjoyed the book
June 7, 2017
Wow, just Wow! It's not often that I give five stars to a book with offensive language, but I couldn't put this one down. I had breakfast at 2 pm because I couldn't quit reading long enough to do anything else. Great story, engaging characters, breath-taking suspense--my idea of the perfect novel!
June 26, 2017
A good, fun, flying adventure
I'm not sure the characters described in this book were written very well. Especially the "bad" guys. Plus, you can throw in a bunch of racial/male-female stereotypes, and the thrust of the book gets side-tracked. When the story-line is followed, this was an amusing story to read.
I'm not sure the characters described in this book were written very well. Especially the "bad" guys. Plus, you can throw in a bunch of racial/male-female stereotypes, and the thrust of the book gets side-tracked. When the story-line is followed, this was an amusing story to read.
April 26, 2017
Interesting read
I found this to be a very good read, even though a bit to technical for my taste. The characters were well developed from the beginning and the plot remained intriguing throughout.
I enjoyed this author and will read more of his novels.
I found this to be a very good read, even though a bit to technical for my taste. The characters were well developed from the beginning and the plot remained intriguing throughout.
I enjoyed this author and will read more of his novels.
June 5, 2017
Wonderful book
Kevin was an excellent person who loved being a pilot and saving peoples lives. Flight 2262 and their crew came together and key us not forget about Jimmy and Jack who worked together to save survivors. A great book loved the author will read more books
Kevin was an excellent person who loved being a pilot and saving peoples lives. Flight 2262 and their crew came together and key us not forget about Jimmy and Jack who worked together to save survivors. A great book loved the author will read more books
June 20, 2017
An interesting read a bit slow at the start but it did keep me reading it
June 23, 2017
Great read
Liked everything about this book.Could not put it down.Can't wait for more from this author.Page Turner from beginning to end.
Liked everything about this book.Could not put it down.Can't wait for more from this author.Page Turner from beginning to end.
July 28, 2017
Couldn't put this down. As a retired aircraft mechanic I found this was riveting and the mechanics spot on.
July 8, 2021
This was the dumbest sh*t I have ever read.
August 14, 2020
Etzil delivers his taut aviation thriller with a heaping serving of thrills, action, and intrigue as his protagonist struggles to take control of a doomed flight headed for the ocean.
Bound for Hawaii, Flight 2262 is instead headed straight for the middle of the Pacific Ocean after a vengeful terrorist manages to blow out part of the plane midair. With the pilots gravely injured, Kevin, an off-duty pilot, is the only one who can save the plane from getting lost into the fathomless depths of the Pacific. But the cockpit door is locked from inside, and a rookie air marshal takes it upon himself to protect the cabin crew. With a storm on the way and limited fuel supply, all the parties soon realize that trusting each other may be their only hope of survival. But keeping themselves together in the face of the approaching catastrophe is not as easy it seems.
Writing with the flair of a veteran author, Etzil underscores Flight 2262’s passengers’ escapade with skill and perception. He not only succeeds at creating a scary atmosphere, but also keeps a strict leash on many different story lines, keeping various threads of the main plot together.
Though this is a fast-paced action thriller, the characters’ backstories are infused into the narrative skillfully, making their fears, insecurities, and very existence seem intimate for the reader. The mini subplot about the terrorists’ operation in both Afghanistan and USA rings true, and Kevin’s backstory is delightfully intriguing.
Etzil raises the stakes to a fever pitch as the fuel supply begins to diminish at lightning speed and with the part of the plane blown apart, Kevin and the surviving crew struggle to take control of the plane in the middle of the storm. The terrifying scenario of getting sucked out off the plane midair is sketched with credibility and skill, and multiple scares including an approaching storm, bomb explosion, fuel shortage, dead pilots, a barricaded cockpit among others provide non-stop action, leaving enough room for surprise.
Etzil’s creative depiction of the midair calamity is credible and gripping, and the growing bond between the motley crew of survivors is sure to conquer readers’ hearts. The non-stop twists and turns and high action make this an roller-coaster ride.
Eerily realistic and unrelenting, this is a techno thriller done right.
A must-read for fans of fast-paced techno thrillers.
Bound for Hawaii, Flight 2262 is instead headed straight for the middle of the Pacific Ocean after a vengeful terrorist manages to blow out part of the plane midair. With the pilots gravely injured, Kevin, an off-duty pilot, is the only one who can save the plane from getting lost into the fathomless depths of the Pacific. But the cockpit door is locked from inside, and a rookie air marshal takes it upon himself to protect the cabin crew. With a storm on the way and limited fuel supply, all the parties soon realize that trusting each other may be their only hope of survival. But keeping themselves together in the face of the approaching catastrophe is not as easy it seems.
Writing with the flair of a veteran author, Etzil underscores Flight 2262’s passengers’ escapade with skill and perception. He not only succeeds at creating a scary atmosphere, but also keeps a strict leash on many different story lines, keeping various threads of the main plot together.
Though this is a fast-paced action thriller, the characters’ backstories are infused into the narrative skillfully, making their fears, insecurities, and very existence seem intimate for the reader. The mini subplot about the terrorists’ operation in both Afghanistan and USA rings true, and Kevin’s backstory is delightfully intriguing.
Etzil raises the stakes to a fever pitch as the fuel supply begins to diminish at lightning speed and with the part of the plane blown apart, Kevin and the surviving crew struggle to take control of the plane in the middle of the storm. The terrifying scenario of getting sucked out off the plane midair is sketched with credibility and skill, and multiple scares including an approaching storm, bomb explosion, fuel shortage, dead pilots, a barricaded cockpit among others provide non-stop action, leaving enough room for surprise.
Etzil’s creative depiction of the midair calamity is credible and gripping, and the growing bond between the motley crew of survivors is sure to conquer readers’ hearts. The non-stop twists and turns and high action make this an roller-coaster ride.
Eerily realistic and unrelenting, this is a techno thriller done right.
A must-read for fans of fast-paced techno thrillers.
August 26, 2021
Reading Airliner Down was like watching a movie a disaster movie on a Saturday night with popcorn and a soda. It was fun and if you don’t think too hard and become too judgmental it was quite enjoyable. Bad guys were bad. The good guys tried their best. Humans are just plain stupid sometimes. It was a lot of fun. I will say this the women were a bit too dippy for me. For example, if you’re in an airplane and it’s about to crash I don’t really think you should be standing around being pissed off at somebody because they had an affair. I think staying alive so you can kick his ass later would be more along the lines of women today, right?!?! Hey, but that’s just me.
April 13, 2021
A great thriller from beginning to end. John Etzil did a very good job of creating characters with depth and telling the story from the perspective of the different characters.
August 16, 2022
I enjoyed the Chirp audioversion.
March 14, 2019
Wow what a ride! I couldn't put this down. Such an intense, full-on page turner. Will definitely be reading more from Etzil.
August 25, 2017
Thriller
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I would recommended this book to anyone who loves a fast paced action packed thriller.
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I would recommended this book to anyone who loves a fast paced action packed thriller.
August 18, 2017
Airliner Down review
Airliner Down is a fast-paced thriller written by author John Etzil. The story is about a passenger airliner that is sabotaged by terrorists. It's an edge of your seat read. Would make a fine series.
Airliner Down is a fast-paced thriller written by author John Etzil. The story is about a passenger airliner that is sabotaged by terrorists. It's an edge of your seat read. Would make a fine series.
July 13, 2017
Lots of Tension
Sometimes there is a good reason to be frightened of flying. Interesting set of characters on the plane with personal connections as well as necessary skills.
Sometimes there is a good reason to be frightened of flying. Interesting set of characters on the plane with personal connections as well as necessary skills.
July 5, 2020
3.5 stars
In the first chapter, the reader learns early on that there’s an explosive on the plane. The chapter goes on to explain the mechanism of the explosive as well as the time it’s set to go off.
The next chapter goes back five hours to the event at Los Angeles International Airport between Christmas and New Year.
Kevin McSorley, an off-duty pilot, 👨🏻✈️is heading to Hawaii where he’s looking forward to spending a week in a luxury hotel with his woman, who happens to be married.
The pilots on the flight are Tom Burns, first officer whom Kevin has flown with several times and considers a good pilot. Then there’s the captain, Roy Peterson, an airline veteran who’s looking forward to retirement. Kevin hopes to fly with him one more time he retires.
The following chapters detail minor events leading up to the major event when the bomb is set to go off.
A fast-paced thriller with an engaging plot. Fasten your seat belts for this one. Would recommend.
In the first chapter, the reader learns early on that there’s an explosive on the plane. The chapter goes on to explain the mechanism of the explosive as well as the time it’s set to go off.
The next chapter goes back five hours to the event at Los Angeles International Airport between Christmas and New Year.
Kevin McSorley, an off-duty pilot, 👨🏻✈️is heading to Hawaii where he’s looking forward to spending a week in a luxury hotel with his woman, who happens to be married.
The pilots on the flight are Tom Burns, first officer whom Kevin has flown with several times and considers a good pilot. Then there’s the captain, Roy Peterson, an airline veteran who’s looking forward to retirement. Kevin hopes to fly with him one more time he retires.
The following chapters detail minor events leading up to the major event when the bomb is set to go off.
A fast-paced thriller with an engaging plot. Fasten your seat belts for this one. Would recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews