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Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise
A mass of European and American tourists descend on an idyllic tropical island for the holiday of a lifetime. Within hours, hundreds are dead. What happened? The true story of one of history's most tragic and shocking disasters...in which aviation, terrorism, a sudden change in the weather and plain old bad luck made for a ruinous mix. This gripping novella length work unravels the mind-boggling facts of this catastrophe as a compelling, action-packed and haunting tale of the human condition that will have you turning the pages to the very end.
Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2017
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About the author
O.J. Modjeska
13 books10 followers"Truth is stranger than fiction ... and this author offers horrifying insight..."
I am a true crime author who wears many other hats, including erstwhile historian and criminologist and avid consumer of books and TV series ... find out what I've been bingeing on in the ScreamingForStreaming blog at http://www.estoire.co/
More about:
OJ Modjeska is a criminologist, historian and author. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a PhD in Modern American History in 2004, and received her Graduate Diploma in Criminology from Sydney Law School in 2015. In 2015 she was awarded the JH McClemens Memorial Prize by Sydney Law School for her scholarship in criminology. Before pursuing a writing career she worked for many years as a legal writer and editor. She writes books of narrative non-fiction true crime and disaster analysis. Her books are suspenseful narratives which draw on her insights and expertise into history, criminal behavior and psychology.
OJ signed with Next Chapter Publishing in 2018. She continues to publish minor works under her own imprint, Estoire, named after the French for "a narrative of past events, presented as true, whose authenticity is attested by an authority".
I am a true crime author who wears many other hats, including erstwhile historian and criminologist and avid consumer of books and TV series ... find out what I've been bingeing on in the ScreamingForStreaming blog at http://www.estoire.co/
More about:
OJ Modjeska is a criminologist, historian and author. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a PhD in Modern American History in 2004, and received her Graduate Diploma in Criminology from Sydney Law School in 2015. In 2015 she was awarded the JH McClemens Memorial Prize by Sydney Law School for her scholarship in criminology. Before pursuing a writing career she worked for many years as a legal writer and editor. She writes books of narrative non-fiction true crime and disaster analysis. Her books are suspenseful narratives which draw on her insights and expertise into history, criminal behavior and psychology.
OJ signed with Next Chapter Publishing in 2018. She continues to publish minor works under her own imprint, Estoire, named after the French for "a narrative of past events, presented as true, whose authenticity is attested by an authority".
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January 26, 2020
Catastrophe
As they say, the truth is stranger than fiction. The chain of events and incidents that conspired to constitute the worst accidental aviator disaster in history is bewildering, catastrophic and so incredibly heart-breaking. Therefore, the 9/11 New York terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers are not included because they were a deliberately planned act of terrorism. Of course, we can’t get too far away from terrorism even in this story, as it has its roots in a terrorist attack on Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which led to all flights being rerouted to land in Los Rodeos airport on Tenerife. The events that unfolded comprise a Pan American 747 and a KLM 747 each full of passengers, and the KLM aircraft with full tanks of fuel.
Obelia Modjeska skillfully presents an unbiased and well researched step-by-step account of the Tenerife aircraft collision that cost the lives of 583 people. She offers insights and considerations from multiple sides, regularly approaching an event from the different perspectives of the crew of each aircraft and traffic control. I found the story really gripping and the flowing style kept me captivated throughout the whole book. You can’t afford to miss a single point as it all adds to the incredible catalogue of mishaps, with even nature making its contribution. All adding to that perfect storm. The authorities and airline companies may have eventually come to a conclusion on responsibility, but the human factors and the motivations of the aeroplane captains and crews expose the various competing forces and consequences everyone had in balancing the decisions they made.
With so many factors involved, it just feels doomed that a single change could have averted the disaster. For example, if the fog had not engulfed the airport restricting visibility to 500m, had the KLM aircraft not decided to refuel holding everyone else back, had the link paths between the runway and taxiway not been at impossible turning angles for a Boeing 747, had the air-traffic controllers not been at the end of long shifts, had their accent not been so difficult to understand, and most incredulous had communication technology not nullified messages transmitted at the same moment in time, known as a heterodyne.
This book deserves to be read as a well researched and wonderfully presented unbiased account of the aircraft disaster in Tenerife. I would like to thank Obelia Modjeska for providing me with a copy of her book in return for an honest review.
“Forty years ago, on the afternoon of 27 March 1977, a mass of American and European tourists descended on a tropical paradise for the holiday of a lifetime. Within hours, hundreds were dead.”
As they say, the truth is stranger than fiction. The chain of events and incidents that conspired to constitute the worst accidental aviator disaster in history is bewildering, catastrophic and so incredibly heart-breaking. Therefore, the 9/11 New York terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers are not included because they were a deliberately planned act of terrorism. Of course, we can’t get too far away from terrorism even in this story, as it has its roots in a terrorist attack on Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which led to all flights being rerouted to land in Los Rodeos airport on Tenerife. The events that unfolded comprise a Pan American 747 and a KLM 747 each full of passengers, and the KLM aircraft with full tanks of fuel.
Obelia Modjeska skillfully presents an unbiased and well researched step-by-step account of the Tenerife aircraft collision that cost the lives of 583 people. She offers insights and considerations from multiple sides, regularly approaching an event from the different perspectives of the crew of each aircraft and traffic control. I found the story really gripping and the flowing style kept me captivated throughout the whole book. You can’t afford to miss a single point as it all adds to the incredible catalogue of mishaps, with even nature making its contribution. All adding to that perfect storm. The authorities and airline companies may have eventually come to a conclusion on responsibility, but the human factors and the motivations of the aeroplane captains and crews expose the various competing forces and consequences everyone had in balancing the decisions they made.
With so many factors involved, it just feels doomed that a single change could have averted the disaster. For example, if the fog had not engulfed the airport restricting visibility to 500m, had the KLM aircraft not decided to refuel holding everyone else back, had the link paths between the runway and taxiway not been at impossible turning angles for a Boeing 747, had the air-traffic controllers not been at the end of long shifts, had their accent not been so difficult to understand, and most incredulous had communication technology not nullified messages transmitted at the same moment in time, known as a heterodyne.
This book deserves to be read as a well researched and wonderfully presented unbiased account of the aircraft disaster in Tenerife. I would like to thank Obelia Modjeska for providing me with a copy of her book in return for an honest review.
July 26, 2017
This book reminds me of the movie, "Titanic" in that you know from the start it's not going to end well, yet up until that horrible moment, there's nail-biting suspense as you wish that, somehow, it isn't true and never happened. And like the Titanic, this incident is also horrifyingly true.
I blew through this gripping, yet heart rending book in a single day. I can't name a single novel at which I've shed more tears. It recounts in incredible detail what went on behind the scenes of the catastrophic plane crash that occurred March 27, 1977 on Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, when two jumbo jet Boeing 747s collided on the ground, killing 583 people. I remember that accident well and how horrified I was that something so terrible could happen. I'd never even heard of Tenerife until that time, and unfortunately, every time I've heard it since, this tragedy is the first thing that comes to mind.
The author takes you, step by step, through all the events that led up to it, again showing that every disaster has multiple causes, an unfortunate chain that could have been broken at any number of points, yet never was, resulting in the unthinkable. Incredibly, it started way before that, with the placement of the airport at a horrible location where banks of fog were known to roll in from the adjacent mountains. Folklore has it that the "X" on the map was originally to indicate the place NOT to place the airport, yet later that rationale was lost, Murphy's Law prevailed, and that was exactly where it was placed. How ironic and how human.
Having worked at NASA for over 20 years, including during the time immediately following the Challenger accident as well as when Columbia broke up over Texas skies in 2003, I'd already seen that pattern. It's never one, single thing, one single mistake, that causes a major disaster, but an unfortunate chain that is seemingly cursed by fate.
It made my blood boil that it actually started with a terrorist attack on Las Palmas, another airport in the Canary Islands. While I'm sure there's a special place in hell for the insidious individual perpetuating that scourge, it's horrible the damage and loss of life their barbaric beliefs have caused. In this case, their actions of detonating a bomb in the Las Palmas terminal forced numerous aircraft to be rerouted to Los Rodeos, an airport far too small to accommodate such an influx of unexpected flights, especially wide-body, jumbo jets like the Boeing 747.
Truly, this situation was an accident waiting to happen from the start as two tower controllers near the end of their shift attempted to manage the unexpected situation with antiquated equipment; they didn't even have ground radar. These critical circumstances were further exacerbated by cultural issues and the quirks of human nature, always a factor in such a tragedy, yet so often far from deliberate. Someone makes a bad decision, never dreaming in their worst nightmare what the result will be. And the coup de grace was the fog.
I'm not sure it would constitute a spoiler to say more, given the unfortunate end result is well known and documented. To say I enjoyed the book is a bit of a misnomer, given it was far from pleasant, yet a very emotional experience, which to me is the hallmark of an outstanding book. This one is skillfully written and represents meticulously detailed research, which provides a three or even four dimensional view of the happenings of that day.
I'm probably not the "average reader" since I worked in shuttle and payload safety at NASA, I where I personally participated in accident investigations, had classes in such, and was involved in the post-mortem of the Columbia accident. I've read NTSB reports of other airline accidents with interest and had the privilege of attending Aerospace Medical Association Conferences a few times where such things were discussed, including TWA Flight 800, which went down in flames July 17, 1996 after taking off from JFK airport in New York. Some pretty interesting theories exist related to that one, too, which were not included in the official accident report.
The author did a spectacular job of leaving no stone unturned, reporting the situations, circumstances, and results in an objective, yet thoughtful manner, demonstrating once again that accidents don't just "happen," at least not of this scope.
The message, of course, for us all, is to recognize that nothing in life is guaranteed. There's no telling when what appears to be a benign decision might be the fatal link that takes a normal day into the realm of tragedy. For the human factors involved alone, this book deserves attention, especially for those who work in any industry that has the potential for a similar disaster.
I particularly appreciated mention at the end of various individuals reporting paranormal and ghostly apparitions appearing from time to time on the runway. This is the case of various locations where horrific loss of life has occurred. As a professional astrologer, upon finishing the book, I immediately cast the event chart for the accident and could see that there were definitely very sordid aspects in play at the time, all of which reflected much of what was included in the book.
Whether or not you believe in astrology, disaster charts tend to include details that fall into the category "you can't make this stuff up." For example, it showed fog and unclear communications, power trips, rebellion against authority and regulations to one's own self-undoing, death and separation from loved ones, and a tremendous amount of activity in the 8th house of death, including the asteroid Icarus, namesake of the mythological individual who tried to fly, on the cusp of the 8th house. It shows the compassionate action of those on the ground, and even that Tenerife would ultimate bear the stigma of being remembered for this horrific event. No, you can't make this stuff up.
Read this book. It's outstanding, albeit heartbreaking. And never take anything for granted again.
I blew through this gripping, yet heart rending book in a single day. I can't name a single novel at which I've shed more tears. It recounts in incredible detail what went on behind the scenes of the catastrophic plane crash that occurred March 27, 1977 on Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, when two jumbo jet Boeing 747s collided on the ground, killing 583 people. I remember that accident well and how horrified I was that something so terrible could happen. I'd never even heard of Tenerife until that time, and unfortunately, every time I've heard it since, this tragedy is the first thing that comes to mind.
The author takes you, step by step, through all the events that led up to it, again showing that every disaster has multiple causes, an unfortunate chain that could have been broken at any number of points, yet never was, resulting in the unthinkable. Incredibly, it started way before that, with the placement of the airport at a horrible location where banks of fog were known to roll in from the adjacent mountains. Folklore has it that the "X" on the map was originally to indicate the place NOT to place the airport, yet later that rationale was lost, Murphy's Law prevailed, and that was exactly where it was placed. How ironic and how human.
Having worked at NASA for over 20 years, including during the time immediately following the Challenger accident as well as when Columbia broke up over Texas skies in 2003, I'd already seen that pattern. It's never one, single thing, one single mistake, that causes a major disaster, but an unfortunate chain that is seemingly cursed by fate.
It made my blood boil that it actually started with a terrorist attack on Las Palmas, another airport in the Canary Islands. While I'm sure there's a special place in hell for the insidious individual perpetuating that scourge, it's horrible the damage and loss of life their barbaric beliefs have caused. In this case, their actions of detonating a bomb in the Las Palmas terminal forced numerous aircraft to be rerouted to Los Rodeos, an airport far too small to accommodate such an influx of unexpected flights, especially wide-body, jumbo jets like the Boeing 747.
Truly, this situation was an accident waiting to happen from the start as two tower controllers near the end of their shift attempted to manage the unexpected situation with antiquated equipment; they didn't even have ground radar. These critical circumstances were further exacerbated by cultural issues and the quirks of human nature, always a factor in such a tragedy, yet so often far from deliberate. Someone makes a bad decision, never dreaming in their worst nightmare what the result will be. And the coup de grace was the fog.
I'm not sure it would constitute a spoiler to say more, given the unfortunate end result is well known and documented. To say I enjoyed the book is a bit of a misnomer, given it was far from pleasant, yet a very emotional experience, which to me is the hallmark of an outstanding book. This one is skillfully written and represents meticulously detailed research, which provides a three or even four dimensional view of the happenings of that day.
I'm probably not the "average reader" since I worked in shuttle and payload safety at NASA, I where I personally participated in accident investigations, had classes in such, and was involved in the post-mortem of the Columbia accident. I've read NTSB reports of other airline accidents with interest and had the privilege of attending Aerospace Medical Association Conferences a few times where such things were discussed, including TWA Flight 800, which went down in flames July 17, 1996 after taking off from JFK airport in New York. Some pretty interesting theories exist related to that one, too, which were not included in the official accident report.
The author did a spectacular job of leaving no stone unturned, reporting the situations, circumstances, and results in an objective, yet thoughtful manner, demonstrating once again that accidents don't just "happen," at least not of this scope.
The message, of course, for us all, is to recognize that nothing in life is guaranteed. There's no telling when what appears to be a benign decision might be the fatal link that takes a normal day into the realm of tragedy. For the human factors involved alone, this book deserves attention, especially for those who work in any industry that has the potential for a similar disaster.
I particularly appreciated mention at the end of various individuals reporting paranormal and ghostly apparitions appearing from time to time on the runway. This is the case of various locations where horrific loss of life has occurred. As a professional astrologer, upon finishing the book, I immediately cast the event chart for the accident and could see that there were definitely very sordid aspects in play at the time, all of which reflected much of what was included in the book.
Whether or not you believe in astrology, disaster charts tend to include details that fall into the category "you can't make this stuff up." For example, it showed fog and unclear communications, power trips, rebellion against authority and regulations to one's own self-undoing, death and separation from loved ones, and a tremendous amount of activity in the 8th house of death, including the asteroid Icarus, namesake of the mythological individual who tried to fly, on the cusp of the 8th house. It shows the compassionate action of those on the ground, and even that Tenerife would ultimate bear the stigma of being remembered for this horrific event. No, you can't make this stuff up.
Read this book. It's outstanding, albeit heartbreaking. And never take anything for granted again.
April 2, 2017
This is a true story. Modjeska takes us on a journey that is not only factual but manages to be suspenseful and interesting. Not your usual dry read for a non-fiction book.
I had heard of the event at Tenerife airport in March 1977, which is still the worst accident in aviation history. As a fan of various "Air Crash Investigator" type shows I was very curious to know just what happened and how it all went wrong, but I got so much more in this book. Without giving away any spoilers the author takes us on a journey that builds suspense as it goes. We hear about the type of people involved. The events of the day, and the professional history of a couple of the "lead characters".
It reads like a story, but is factual at the same time. An interesting approach and I loved it. The air controller, the pilot, the crew members, and some of the passengers and their stories are interwoven with the facts, along with a background into the airlines and the actual details of the lead up to the accident...and then the accident itself is covered in good detail that is neither boring nor dry. This is all followed by the out come tying up the ends of each of the stories. It is only a short read, which respectful of its interested audience. It is neither filled with academic jargon nor simplified to the point of feeling condescending, drama-filled tripe as often happens with these types of books.
I am happy to recommend this book, and will be actively seeking more to read from this author.
I had heard of the event at Tenerife airport in March 1977, which is still the worst accident in aviation history. As a fan of various "Air Crash Investigator" type shows I was very curious to know just what happened and how it all went wrong, but I got so much more in this book. Without giving away any spoilers the author takes us on a journey that builds suspense as it goes. We hear about the type of people involved. The events of the day, and the professional history of a couple of the "lead characters".
It reads like a story, but is factual at the same time. An interesting approach and I loved it. The air controller, the pilot, the crew members, and some of the passengers and their stories are interwoven with the facts, along with a background into the airlines and the actual details of the lead up to the accident...and then the accident itself is covered in good detail that is neither boring nor dry. This is all followed by the out come tying up the ends of each of the stories. It is only a short read, which respectful of its interested audience. It is neither filled with academic jargon nor simplified to the point of feeling condescending, drama-filled tripe as often happens with these types of books.
I am happy to recommend this book, and will be actively seeking more to read from this author.
April 18, 2017
This is a very unusual book in that the reader already knows the nature of the catastrophe and its awful outcome yet I still found this to be an absolute edge-of-the-seat thrilling read. I remember the newspaper coverage of the event at the time – the sight of a huge conflagration and the knowledge off all those burned bodies really upset me. At the time there was a lot of speculation as to the cause to the disaster, reputations were shattered in an instant, everyone needed someone to blame. Such is this author’s skill as a writer that you feel you can concur with her conclusion and blame the perfect storm of events that led to tragedy. O.J. Modjeska feels that there was something off, something ”hinky” that day that put all the ingredients for disaster in the same place at the same time. I am not surprised that crew and passengers at Los Rodeos airport see ghosts. I urge you to read this book.
January 11, 2020
Fact based, horrifying documentary story of the aviation disaster ob Tenerife in 1977 when two 747 jumbo jets colliided while one was taking off. Scary but informative. Makes me skiddish about flying...
August 7, 2017
This book tells of the true events of the renowned air disaster in Tenerife in 1977. I was a kid at the time but remember it happening and admit that it put me off ever flying there. There were so many things about this tragic event that I had been totally unaware of. More people died in this 'accident' than in any other recorded air crash in history. A series of 'hiccups' on that dreadful day created a recipe for disaster as opposed to one particular thing. I felt empathy towards those who thought they were heading off for the 'holiday of a lifetime', only to perish through no fault of their own. The story certainly lingered on my mind for some time after and I had to wonder if some unseen, dark force had been at work or could much of it be blamed on the arrogance of the Dutch pilot? I'm still not sure but like the fact that it still leaves me intrigued.
November 25, 2020
A swing and a miss
Full disclosure- I am into aviation and I find aviation disasters interesting so I came across this book and thought it would be interesting; after all different authors have different ways of approaching things and despite having been aware of this aviation disaster, I was interested to see what I could glean.
From the get go, the author tries to promise to tell the narrative in a way that engages you and not to be dry as more formal based accounts such as the television show Air Crash Investigation, but I found that not only was this promise broken, but it was a lot more drier then them!
A big drawback is the refusal to use quotation marks when making a direct quote from an offical source; this made it hard to read and differentiate a paragraph from a supporting quote.
Additionally, this author gets a lot of stuff wrong. They refer to the Pan Am as simply “Clipper” despite a) that being the call sign of the airline and b) the naming convention of Pan Am was to call an aircraft “Clipper [name of aircraft].
A disappointing effort overall I will admit; an interesting premise but poorly implemented and I wouldn’t recommend this book or any others by this author.
Full disclosure- I am into aviation and I find aviation disasters interesting so I came across this book and thought it would be interesting; after all different authors have different ways of approaching things and despite having been aware of this aviation disaster, I was interested to see what I could glean.
From the get go, the author tries to promise to tell the narrative in a way that engages you and not to be dry as more formal based accounts such as the television show Air Crash Investigation, but I found that not only was this promise broken, but it was a lot more drier then them!
A big drawback is the refusal to use quotation marks when making a direct quote from an offical source; this made it hard to read and differentiate a paragraph from a supporting quote.
Additionally, this author gets a lot of stuff wrong. They refer to the Pan Am as simply “Clipper” despite a) that being the call sign of the airline and b) the naming convention of Pan Am was to call an aircraft “Clipper [name of aircraft].
A disappointing effort overall I will admit; an interesting premise but poorly implemented and I wouldn’t recommend this book or any others by this author.
January 1, 2018
Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise by OJ Modjeska is the true story of the deadliest aviation accident in history. In 1977, the main airport in the Canary Islands was bombed by a separatist group seeking independence from Spain. When the threat of another bombing occurred, the decision was made to divert all air traffic to Los Rodeos, a small regional airport on a different nearby island. Los Rodeos was understaffed and ill equipped to handle the influx of planes. The events leading up to this catastrophe are explored and presented to the reader with an overwhelming sense of dread, like watching the chaotic elements of the universe come together to form a terrible evil. The result was the Tenerife Airport Disaster which killed 583 people, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history.
Under 100 pages in length, Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise focuses on the topic of examining how events came together to result in the Tenerife Airport Disaster, and the author’s attention is not diverted. Modjeska provides a thorough and succinct examination. She has a methodical approach to her research and provides images and diagrams to support her writing. Transcripts between pilots and air traffic control to support an examination of the key players in the disaster. The writing goes beyond a straight narration of events and attempts to understand the perspectives of the pilots, crews and air traffic control. Modjeska takes the reader from what appears to be a possible terror threat from the Canary Islands Independence Movement, to language barriers between pilots and airport staff, possibly worst-ever timed chance radio glitches, a lack of standardized aviation terms, and terrible weather conditions. In this brief book, Modjeska particularly excels in creating a mounting sense of doom and dread. I was on the edge of my seat despite obviously knowing how the story ended. It was the same type of suspense that comes from reading a horror novel.
Because the accident happen on a Spanish territory, Spain managed the accident investigation. The investigation concluded that the fundamental cause of the accident was that Dutch KLM Captain Veldhuyzen van Zanten took off without clearance. The Dutch authorities were reluctant to accept the Spanish report blaming the KLM captain for the accident, and Modjeska provides a balanced perspective of why blame deserves to be shared with chance and all those involved.
I received this book through Rosie's Book Review Team.
Under 100 pages in length, Gone: Catastrophe in Paradise focuses on the topic of examining how events came together to result in the Tenerife Airport Disaster, and the author’s attention is not diverted. Modjeska provides a thorough and succinct examination. She has a methodical approach to her research and provides images and diagrams to support her writing. Transcripts between pilots and air traffic control to support an examination of the key players in the disaster. The writing goes beyond a straight narration of events and attempts to understand the perspectives of the pilots, crews and air traffic control. Modjeska takes the reader from what appears to be a possible terror threat from the Canary Islands Independence Movement, to language barriers between pilots and airport staff, possibly worst-ever timed chance radio glitches, a lack of standardized aviation terms, and terrible weather conditions. In this brief book, Modjeska particularly excels in creating a mounting sense of doom and dread. I was on the edge of my seat despite obviously knowing how the story ended. It was the same type of suspense that comes from reading a horror novel.
Because the accident happen on a Spanish territory, Spain managed the accident investigation. The investigation concluded that the fundamental cause of the accident was that Dutch KLM Captain Veldhuyzen van Zanten took off without clearance. The Dutch authorities were reluctant to accept the Spanish report blaming the KLM captain for the accident, and Modjeska provides a balanced perspective of why blame deserves to be shared with chance and all those involved.
I received this book through Rosie's Book Review Team.
March 12, 2021
Surprisingly good (short-ish) read about a horrific airport disaster that occurred on the Canary Islands in 1977.
For the vast majority of the book the author blends facts, analysis and the human side in a solidly engaging way. I took appreciative notice of her open mind as to circumstances, causes along with a thoughtful attempt to understand the mental process of the KLM captain(I’m not interested in a TV news rehash book - which this book isn’t). Yes, it was the KLM captain’s fault, however, it’s to everyone’s benefit to consider ‘it is all too human to be making a decision based on a number of stressful subsequent ramifications’(not a verbatim quote from the author).
Unfortunately the book loses one full rating star for the last handful of pages disappointingly interjecting in Numerology? Paranormal? This was absurdly out of place given the book had been a solid analysis of a well recorded catastrophe. These subjects are for a different book. Next there’s the attempt to equivocate because Pan Am wasn’t well prepared (or wouldn’t) to deal with the 24 hour aftermath — that segueing that into Pan Am’s business demise 15 years later. The equivocation is another unfortunate, albeit, small part that IMHO should have been left out.
For the vast majority of the book the author blends facts, analysis and the human side in a solidly engaging way. I took appreciative notice of her open mind as to circumstances, causes along with a thoughtful attempt to understand the mental process of the KLM captain(I’m not interested in a TV news rehash book - which this book isn’t). Yes, it was the KLM captain’s fault, however, it’s to everyone’s benefit to consider ‘it is all too human to be making a decision based on a number of stressful subsequent ramifications’(not a verbatim quote from the author).
Unfortunately the book loses one full rating star for the last handful of pages disappointingly interjecting in Numerology? Paranormal? This was absurdly out of place given the book had been a solid analysis of a well recorded catastrophe. These subjects are for a different book. Next there’s the attempt to equivocate because Pan Am wasn’t well prepared (or wouldn’t) to deal with the 24 hour aftermath — that segueing that into Pan Am’s business demise 15 years later. The equivocation is another unfortunate, albeit, small part that IMHO should have been left out.
February 18, 2019
Incredulous !!
An often forgotten story about the worst crash in aviation history.
A Pan Am and a Dutch Airliner were on the same tarmac at the same time and both assumed the other had the right of way.
It took everything lining up just right for the disaster to occur.
The Captain of the Dutch Airline was a little arrogant and did not take his crew mates seriously.
Both of the jumbo jets had been diverted to the much smaller Airport at Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
A horrendous fog rolled in and obliterated the much needed view,which rendered it next to impossible to see clearly.
Aviation and the World eventually forgot about the terrible crash that took the lives of over 575 souls,on that ghostly night in 1977,due to other ghastly,horrors of the day.
The fact remains,even after this crash,the Airlines took only limited action to prevent this same tragedy from.happening again.
A great short story that I had never heard about before and one that should be read by all.
An often forgotten story about the worst crash in aviation history.
A Pan Am and a Dutch Airliner were on the same tarmac at the same time and both assumed the other had the right of way.
It took everything lining up just right for the disaster to occur.
The Captain of the Dutch Airline was a little arrogant and did not take his crew mates seriously.
Both of the jumbo jets had been diverted to the much smaller Airport at Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
A horrendous fog rolled in and obliterated the much needed view,which rendered it next to impossible to see clearly.
Aviation and the World eventually forgot about the terrible crash that took the lives of over 575 souls,on that ghostly night in 1977,due to other ghastly,horrors of the day.
The fact remains,even after this crash,the Airlines took only limited action to prevent this same tragedy from.happening again.
A great short story that I had never heard about before and one that should be read by all.
January 13, 2019
Factual & Gripping Account of a Horrific Crash
This book was a factual account of one of the worst air disasters of all time, the collision of two jets on the runway on an island. Nearly 600 lives were lost. A number of unusual occurrences came together to cause this tragedy, though one major issue was the ultimate factor. Well researched and expertly told, it puts the reader at the heart of the tragedy. I was well aware of this crash, even though it occurred over 40 years ago. As a fan of the show Air Disasters, I remember the episode based on this crash. As is the sad norm for some instances of air travel, loss of life leads to better safety features for today's travelers. In this case the CRM or Crew Resource Management was implemented, to better facilitate positive interactions in the cockpit. An excellent read and I will allow the reader to discover the chain of events that caused this catastrophe.
This book was a factual account of one of the worst air disasters of all time, the collision of two jets on the runway on an island. Nearly 600 lives were lost. A number of unusual occurrences came together to cause this tragedy, though one major issue was the ultimate factor. Well researched and expertly told, it puts the reader at the heart of the tragedy. I was well aware of this crash, even though it occurred over 40 years ago. As a fan of the show Air Disasters, I remember the episode based on this crash. As is the sad norm for some instances of air travel, loss of life leads to better safety features for today's travelers. In this case the CRM or Crew Resource Management was implemented, to better facilitate positive interactions in the cockpit. An excellent read and I will allow the reader to discover the chain of events that caused this catastrophe.
March 30, 2020
This 88 page story aimed too low yet satisfies
I enjoyed this retelling, never having understood the causes before. I also appreciated the author's intelligent description of needed person to person critical communication reforms suggested by this tragic event.
This piece was not well edited. Too much repetition, bloating paragraphs without adding meaning or factual support. The numerology and other attempts at bringing in mysticism failed to go anywhere.
The interesting discussion of how the human mind can lose awareness of the most critical information due to stress and perceptual blind spots, left me wanting to know more. How does this accident relate to the use of checklists? What new safety checklists evolved in the aftermath?
This event teaches safety lessons for other important areas. Too bad the book was instead framed as the story of a catastrophe for the aircraft industry and customers. But I guess that's a different book and a longer one. V
I enjoyed this retelling, never having understood the causes before. I also appreciated the author's intelligent description of needed person to person critical communication reforms suggested by this tragic event.
This piece was not well edited. Too much repetition, bloating paragraphs without adding meaning or factual support. The numerology and other attempts at bringing in mysticism failed to go anywhere.
The interesting discussion of how the human mind can lose awareness of the most critical information due to stress and perceptual blind spots, left me wanting to know more. How does this accident relate to the use of checklists? What new safety checklists evolved in the aftermath?
This event teaches safety lessons for other important areas. Too bad the book was instead framed as the story of a catastrophe for the aircraft industry and customers. But I guess that's a different book and a longer one. V
June 15, 2017
March 27, 1977
I was 5 when this happened, same age when Elvis died. I have heard of tragedies,but this one story ,I never heard. What a truly, horrendous disaster this was. My only fear, death by fire. Almost 600 people,destined for a vacation of a lifetime,end up burned alive. Why? What happened on that runway? Why wasn't the airport and planes grounded due to the fog? That's my main question. Why did the captain of the KLM take off? Confused? Tired? Egotistical? Communication problems? Was it the towers fault or Pan Ams? The writer, divulges deeper into this story to try to find the answers,to bring some kind of ease to the survivors and families of the dead.This reader is sure, in training this disaster will be studied. Hopefully one day we will know the whole story. Until then, may those souls we lost 40 years ago, be at peace.
I was 5 when this happened, same age when Elvis died. I have heard of tragedies,but this one story ,I never heard. What a truly, horrendous disaster this was. My only fear, death by fire. Almost 600 people,destined for a vacation of a lifetime,end up burned alive. Why? What happened on that runway? Why wasn't the airport and planes grounded due to the fog? That's my main question. Why did the captain of the KLM take off? Confused? Tired? Egotistical? Communication problems? Was it the towers fault or Pan Ams? The writer, divulges deeper into this story to try to find the answers,to bring some kind of ease to the survivors and families of the dead.This reader is sure, in training this disaster will be studied. Hopefully one day we will know the whole story. Until then, may those souls we lost 40 years ago, be at peace.
May 11, 2019
The author does an amazing job of getting to the heart of the matter. Instead of a retelling of just facts and figures we are given a glimpse into what did and what might have transpired. The most intriguing aspect of this manuscript is in the way the author puts the reader into the perspective of each plane's cockpit and control tower personnel's mind. Seeing the story as it unfolded from these different perspectives gives a much clearer view of the events as they unfolded. I had never heard of this tragic accident, but am glad I discovered this account of it. If you enjoy history and intrigue then this is the book for you. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, and I gave an honest review.
April 21, 2019
An OJM. Aviation Historical Presentation/(2) 747's an a Date with Destiny at Tenerife
OJM. has Penned A novel based, unfortunately on fact. The Aviation disaster at Tenerife. A crowded airport due to weather with overworked Air Traffic Controllers at an airport, modern, but not up to specifications. A mistake was made and many were killed. The overworked controller, the bad radio reception, more aircraft than normal for an airport the size it was led to an aviation disaster. The news of the crash was immediate in the aircraft industry, especially by the FAA. and ICAO. The men and women working the Oceanic Sectors in six Air Traffic Control Centers, in the East Coast, passed the word immediately. This is an excellent presentation of an actual event......DEHS
OJM. has Penned A novel based, unfortunately on fact. The Aviation disaster at Tenerife. A crowded airport due to weather with overworked Air Traffic Controllers at an airport, modern, but not up to specifications. A mistake was made and many were killed. The overworked controller, the bad radio reception, more aircraft than normal for an airport the size it was led to an aviation disaster. The news of the crash was immediate in the aircraft industry, especially by the FAA. and ICAO. The men and women working the Oceanic Sectors in six Air Traffic Control Centers, in the East Coast, passed the word immediately. This is an excellent presentation of an actual event......DEHS
May 20, 2024
interesting & informative
I have read & watched many things about the Tenerife Airport Disaster, but I have to say that this short explanation has been very emotional.
All the other documentaries & books have are about the technic aspects of the catastrophe, whereas this was also about the human factors - not only the sheer amount of souls who lost their lives, but also about the cockpit crews & cabin crews, so it gave that tragic day more depth for me as the reader.
There were a few things that I was unaware of, but most of it was already publicly available information, however the presentation was definitely unique. I feel like I know a little more than I did before, so I am very glad I read this.
I have read & watched many things about the Tenerife Airport Disaster, but I have to say that this short explanation has been very emotional.
All the other documentaries & books have are about the technic aspects of the catastrophe, whereas this was also about the human factors - not only the sheer amount of souls who lost their lives, but also about the cockpit crews & cabin crews, so it gave that tragic day more depth for me as the reader.
There were a few things that I was unaware of, but most of it was already publicly available information, however the presentation was definitely unique. I feel like I know a little more than I did before, so I am very glad I read this.
June 17, 2020
I thought I had my mind made up about who was truly responsible for this catastrophe before I read the book. Now I'm not so sure. It's not as cut and dried as it comes across on TV documentaries
It's only 80 pages, a quick read, yet I learned a lot of detail that I hadn't gleaned from associated TV programmes.
I would love to have read more about the background of some of the passengers and principal protagonists. This would have given a depth to the book.
Would particularly like to have read about the ATC controllers after the fact. Also a little more about the relative who instigated the memorial
It's only 80 pages, a quick read, yet I learned a lot of detail that I hadn't gleaned from associated TV programmes.
I would love to have read more about the background of some of the passengers and principal protagonists. This would have given a depth to the book.
Would particularly like to have read about the ATC controllers after the fact. Also a little more about the relative who instigated the memorial
April 25, 2022
Up until the halfway point I expected this to be a three-star read. Yes, the description of the crash was a bit confusing but I had seen documentaries about it so I was able to keep things straight. I anticipated (incorrectly so) that the second half with the supposed “extremely inspiring story of the aftermath” would bring things up to a three-star read. It did not. The author inserted too much of herself and her emotional suppositions into this section, almost like a therapy session, which was not inspiring to me. Then the postscript took a sharp turn into numerology and ghosts and I had to drop another star because WTF.
September 23, 2018
An excellent recount of a tragedy. I did not know a lot about the story when I started reading this but the author did her homework and writes this in a fascinating manner that kept me glued to the book until done - one sitting!!! I have developed a taste for true stories over fiction and this story is one of my new favorites. While there may not be new facts uncovered, the author provides a viewpoint that intrigues me.
I received this book from Review Club and I am voluntarily giving my honest opinion on this book.
I received this book from Review Club and I am voluntarily giving my honest opinion on this book.
December 20, 2018
Catastrophe in Paradise is an extremely well written book. You do not need to be an aviation enthusiast to read this chilling, accurate and highly thought provoking account of the Tenerife disaster involving a KLM and a Pan Am 747 which collided on the runway resulting in a catastrophic loss of life. Most of us who remember this incident probably have firm views as to who was to blame for the disaster. Whether you do or not, please read this account written by OJ Modjeska. The book will leave you with many mixed emotions. As well as being an account of the technicalities that led to the event it is a narrative of the human psyche.
Scott Jameson
Scott Jameson
February 8, 2019
A perfect storm of circumstances led to the worst disaster in international aviation history. This book details the crash in the Canary Islands back in the seventies. From a poorly positioned, poorly conceived airport to a terrorist attack to miscommunications and massive egos, the crash and loss of life were probably avoidable. It did bring about much-needed changes in international aviation. I found this book choppy and less riveting than a Wikipedia entry. It is a tragedy that should be remembered but one that could have been told more eloquently.
May 14, 2018
This is a disaster of epic and terrifying proportions. I remember it well. I was a frequent flyer for several years prior to this but was not at this time. I had flown once on a jumbo jet and had, for the first time, been uncomfortable and a bit fearful. This book gives a vivid and insightful picture of what went on that day. It's a blow by blow account without frills or glory. It's very good, very good, but do not expect a fictionalized version. I did not read this in one sitting.
May 2, 2019
Very vivid
It did not take me long to finish this book. Once I started to read this book I couldn't put it down. Even after all this time ON Modjeska was able to make this horrible moment in history just as fresh and dividing now as it was in 1977. She handles this story with much respect and dignity as a story of this nature demands. She showed great insight and did a fantastic job of keeping the reader understanding what she was writing. 5+ stars!
It did not take me long to finish this book. Once I started to read this book I couldn't put it down. Even after all this time ON Modjeska was able to make this horrible moment in history just as fresh and dividing now as it was in 1977. She handles this story with much respect and dignity as a story of this nature demands. She showed great insight and did a fantastic job of keeping the reader understanding what she was writing. 5+ stars!
December 5, 2020
Astonishing
Another great book from OJ. Her attention to detail is great and this being the third book I've read from her that I've given 5 stars make me look forward to the next. The story of this crash is both sad and astonishing at the same time. The multiple little coincidences the make this crash happen are unbelievable its like this crash was meant to happen no matter what.
Another great book from OJ. Her attention to detail is great and this being the third book I've read from her that I've given 5 stars make me look forward to the next. The story of this crash is both sad and astonishing at the same time. The multiple little coincidences the make this crash happen are unbelievable its like this crash was meant to happen no matter what.
April 10, 2024
Absolutely page turning, edge of your seat read.
This book is such an amazing read. How this author so excellently builds this true story up to the pivotal point is amazing. You just want to cry when you read what happens. And then cry again at were the fault gets laid. Anyone who reads would love this book. So awful how the press can destroy someone's character by being so wrong.
This book is such an amazing read. How this author so excellently builds this true story up to the pivotal point is amazing. You just want to cry when you read what happens. And then cry again at were the fault gets laid. Anyone who reads would love this book. So awful how the press can destroy someone's character by being so wrong.
February 21, 2019
Gripping account of a catastrophic event
This book humanizes a shocking event that was in the news over four decades ago. The author treats the tragic subject with compassion and without sensationalism regarding what happened
when two jumbo jets collided on a remote island called Tenerife.
island called Tenerife.
This book humanizes a shocking event that was in the news over four decades ago. The author treats the tragic subject with compassion and without sensationalism regarding what happened
when two jumbo jets collided on a remote island called Tenerife.
island called Tenerife.
September 23, 2019
I remember this terrible accident. Reading about it is a reminder how the accumulation of a lot of small mistakes can result in something terrible and irreversible. I believe my father was one of the builders of the 747 in this accident, so I was relieved that it the accident wasn't due to mechanical failure. Excellent history lesson
November 17, 2019
Horrific
Details the collision of KLM and PanAm flights at a small Tenerife airport that was ill equipped to handle diverted airline traffic from a larger airport and the arrogance that some air crew may demonstrate in decisions affecting their passengers...show need for clarity of communication and patience needed to deal with unforeseen circumstances
Details the collision of KLM and PanAm flights at a small Tenerife airport that was ill equipped to handle diverted airline traffic from a larger airport and the arrogance that some air crew may demonstrate in decisions affecting their passengers...show need for clarity of communication and patience needed to deal with unforeseen circumstances
December 22, 2019
I learned a lot and this was a great read!
This book covers the Tenerife plane disaster. The book reads somewhat like a news report however I mean this in a good way. The story seems well researched
...having known nothing about this disaster, I feel well informed and as sad as the story is, it definitely kept me reading til' the end!
This book covers the Tenerife plane disaster. The book reads somewhat like a news report however I mean this in a good way. The story seems well researched
...having known nothing about this disaster, I feel well informed and as sad as the story is, it definitely kept me reading til' the end!
March 31, 2020
Doesn’t add anything new
Short book that sums up the accident and a bit of the aftermath, but doesn’t really add anything new. I didn’t see anything that I disagreed with in terms of accuracy. So if you are looking for something better than a Wikipedia intro to the accident, this will do fine. I wish it had included pictures and better illustrations.
Short book that sums up the accident and a bit of the aftermath, but doesn’t really add anything new. I didn’t see anything that I disagreed with in terms of accuracy. So if you are looking for something better than a Wikipedia intro to the accident, this will do fine. I wish it had included pictures and better illustrations.
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