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Customer Reviews (1)

You have a pick aviation collections shouldn't miss.
This post-911 new edition comes from a former aerospace engineer, who reviews aviation accidents and their causes, examining how each major accident was affected by weather, pilot error, metal fatigue or maintenance issues. Crucial incidents are reconstructed with an eye to solving puzzles and even those which received intense media profile reveal new angles in Owen's investigation. Add advice on industry changes and you have a pick aviation collections shouldn't miss.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Product Description
Human error is implicated in nearly all aviation accidents, yet most investigation and prevention programs are not designed around any theoretical framework of human error. Appropriate for all levels of expertise, this book provides the knowledge and tools required to conduct a human error analysis of accidents, regardless of operational category (military, commercial or general aviation). The book contains a complete description and domestication of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), which incorporates James Reason's model of latent and active failures as a foundation. Widely disseminated among military and civilian organizations, HFACS encompasses all aspects of human error, including the conditions of operators and organizational failure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good, thoughtful book about investigating and analyzing accidents
The authors briefly discuss aviation accidents from a historical perspective (Chapter 1), and argue that various frameworks that have been proposed to analyze aviation accidents can be grouped or categorized into six different perspectives, each of which has various strengths and weaknesses (Chapter 2).The authors then discuss the model of accident causation developed by James Reason, consider the strengths and limitations of Reason's accident model, and describe the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) which was developed to apply Reason's accident model to accident investigation and analysis (Chapter 3).The authors use three commercial aviation accidents as case studies to illustrate how the HFACS can be used as an investigative and analytical tool (Chapter 4).The authors then discuss how the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have used HFACS to improve the safety of their aviation, and argue that general, nonmilitary aviation needs to improve its efforts at aviation safety (Chapter 5).The authors also acknowledge the need for validating any framework used to investigate and analyze aviation accidents, discuss how such a validation could be performed, and use HFACS to illustrate how the validation process can work (Chapter 6).Finally, the authors address several questions that critics might raise about HFACS (Chapter 7).

The book advocates the HFACS model for investigating and analyzing aviation accidents.But, that advocacy does not detract from its value.The book is interesting, informative, and thought-provoking, regardless of whether the reader accepts or rejects the authors' arguments for HFACS, in whole or in part.

Although the book discusses technical matters, it does so in a way that an educated layperson can understand.This book could be of interest to a variety of people besides aviation accident investigators.Although the book focuses on aviation accidents, it could be useful to professionals who investigate and analyze non-aviation accidents.Lawyers and law enforcement personnel who deal with cases involving accidents might find it useful and informative.It also could be helpful to educate and inform elected officials and government personnel who need to address political or governmental issues triggered by, or arising out of, accidents.Business owners and managers interested in understanding and reducing accidents in their companies or industries should consider taking a look at this book to get a different perspective.

Perfect reference for aircraft accident investigators !
I learnt about HFACS in my Human Factor course during the Master of Science in Aeronautics Program and now I'm addicted to this framework. Every investigator should use this tool to unveil the real reasons why human errors occurred. And more, I met Dr. Shappell, one of the author, and he is an amazing person.

At last a useful classification method
Good, well tested, well justified, human factors classification methodology from 2 authors that are well worth seeing live. ... Read more

Product Description
Looking from several viewpoints at the different factors involved in causing aircraft accidents, this book also describes some crucial incidents which puzzle the investigators. It explains the painstaking work of reconstructing the precise sequence of events which brought about a disaster and how clues are found that throw light on what actually happened. Other topics include the present state of aviation safety and the challenges facing the future of the industry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS
THE BOOK INVESTIGATES THE CRASHES FAR TO SIMPLISTICLY,THERE IS NOT MUCH DEPTH IN THE TEXT,BUT IT OFFERS EASY READING. ... Read more

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In both military and civil aviation the ultimate nightmare is a mid-air collision. MID-AIR offers readers brutally authentic accounts of collisions involving military aircraft and civil transports. Each chapter is a window through which readers re-live the aerial crisis, the voice transcript (where available), the collision, the subsequent investigation, and the often-elusive Probable Cause. The author is a former military and commercial pilot, and this is his eighth book. He eliminates the fog of aviation techno-jargon and explains each accident in easy-to-understand layman's terms. We chart our future by relying upon lessons from our past. MID-AIR is an eloquent and timeless journey into aviation history. It is a truly priceless resource for all Aviation Enthusiasts and Aviation Professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very good, but could have been even better
A very complete book (over 60 accident reports) covering over 75 years, worldwide, including some runway accidents (not exactly "mid-airs") and even collisions with birds.

One overriding impression one gets is the large number of collisions between civilian and military aircraft, and between airliners and general aviation aircraft.In the U.S., I don't worry much about airliners colliding, but those other types still give me cause for concern.

The one thing I wish the author had done was to follow up, where appropriate, with information about changes in procedures that may have come about because of the accident reports; with a few exceptions that is not done.

Also, the chosen photos are often poor choices to represent the aircraft involved.A large percentage show the military equivalents; perhaps due to the author's Marine background?I would have preferred to see airliners in the livery of the aircraft involved in the accident.

And he repeats, several times, the error that the Douglas C-74 was the military equivalent of the DC-7.While it was true that at one time a civilian version of the C-74 was contemplated (which would have been called DC-7 if it had happened), that was never done and the actual DC-7 was a much different, and smaller, aircraft.

Still, if you want to know why airplanes occasionally collide, this book is a must.

Needs editing
I enjoyed this book but had many reservations about the presentation. The formatting makes it look amateurish, with indents, italics and bolding all over the place, to the extent that it is quite hard to read. It is a shame because the actual content is generally good.

awesome read!
marion explains in detail the reasons why mid air collisions happen.from the moment they collide to the moment "they" hit the ground.it covers the investigations and outcome of every accident..if you ever wondered what happens to the human body in a mid air,buy this book.very sad and SCARY AS HELL!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a basic source of technical and legal information to participate intelligently in the search for probable causes and discussion of the legal aspects of aircraft accidents. It should be especially helpful to lawyers and engineers embarking on investigative careers. It includes a list of experts from many disciplines. It also includes a worldwide list of aviation addresses and organizations, as well as data retrieval sources, including excerpts from the government manual.

Readers will appreciate the book's refreshing review of the elements of aerodynamics, structural design, powerplants, aircraft control techniques, as well as the nuances of applicable law such as product liability and negligence. The appendix itself is a learning experience. This book could be considered a postgraduate guide for the hardware-oriented aircraft accident investigator, especially the sections on human errors and human factors.

New in the third edition are chapters covering the Freedom of Information Act, safety, discovery, spoliation of evidence, Death on the High Seas Act, tort litigation and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This reference text is an invaluable tool for any attorney
The text is designed to interface the legal discipline with the aviationexpert. Aircraft accident investigation is a multidisciplinary endeavour.Attorney's very often are not initiated in the many aspects ofinvestigation technigues and methods.

The aircraft accident investigatoris not trained in the distinct differences in investigative technigueneeded for courtroom rules of evidence. This text attempts ito explain thedifferences to relatively inexperienced investigators and attorneys.

Thetext is highly regarded in its field, as is evidenced by the fact that itis in its second printing. The new updated version includes chapters onsystem safety, and helicopter basics. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Space Shuttle Columbia (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it flew a total of 27 times before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 on the STS-107 mission (its 28th), killing all seven crew members aboard. Its destruction, followed by the subsequent independent investigation into its cause, has led NASA to the decision to retire the Shuttle orbiter fleet in 2010 in favor of the Orion spacecraft, an Apollo-derived spacecraft that will serve as the backbone for the upcoming Constellation Program. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Aviation Safety, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on August 1, 2009. The length of the article is 910 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Clueless in Paris.(EDITOR'S LOG)(investigation of Air France Flight 447 accident)
Author: Jeb Burnside
Publication: Aviation Safety (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 29Issue: 8Page: 2(2)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

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MAYDAY examines airline accidents caused by mechanical failure, fire, mid-air collision, terrorist hijacking, and human error. Also, accidents caused by sabotage, suicide, fuel exhaustion, mistaken identity shoot-down, spatial disorientation, hazardous weather, controlled flight into terrain, and other perils. For each accident the reader witnesses the aerial crisis, the crash, the black-box recording, the investigation, and the often-elusive Probable Cause. Readers embark on a brutally factual journey through Commercial Aviation history. They re-live the airline accidents which have marred man's conquest of the skies. MAYDAY is a gut-wrenching and mesmerizing read for all Aviation Enthusiasts and Aviation Professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

nothing new
Although conprehensive, there is nothing new or original here. It seems everything is either a direct reprint of published reports, or a slight rearanging of public stuff. No imagination, no editorial originalality. Just read ntsb reports.

More good than bad
I am an avid reader of air disaster books, don't ask me why. This book has a few problems with style and syntax. It could do with a good copy-editing for readability. As it is I gave it 3 stars; I'd love to read a future edition which has been competently edited and formatted for readability.

Stupid Mistakes...
This is a must read for anyone who is a Pilot or likes to fly. This book reviews some of the worst aircraft accidents in history with an emphasis on pilot error (mostly stupid ones)or equipment failures for the most part. Good interesting reading with many "Black Box" conversations or a radio log. Not overly detailed but an excellent over view or reminder for both pilots and the general public. Covers the Hindenberg to the Space Shuttles as well as 9/11 incidents.

A nail-biter
This book reprints Voice Recorder Transcripts (when available) and NTSB findings (in terse, direct phrases) for SELECTED airline incidents, mostly from 1960 to the Columbia breakup in 2003. He generally strives not to be melodramatic in his recreations, which is a definite plus. The only thing I find annoying is his absolute refusal to reprint profanities and vulgarities spoken by the pilots in their final moments (he constantly equivocates with ("Expletive"), or my favorite ("Name of The Son Of The Deity")). But you can usually figure out what they're saying, or choose your own euphemisms.
A good book.

ex-airline employee review
I was employed by a major airline for over 10 years.The book is well written and should be read by anyone interested in airline safety.Safety was a priorty with the company I worked for, but found my employer listed, which didn't suprise me.

If you want to read more about the subject I suggest you read, "Unfriendly Skies" and "Flying Blind, Flying Safe". ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Hazardous Materials, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Within the United Kingdom the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been used as a model for the other transport modes accident investigation bodies. Government Ministers considered that the AAIB's approach had established the trust of the public and the aviation industry in its ability to conduct independent and objective investigations. The paper will examine the factors that are involved in establishing this trust. They include: the investigation framework; the actual and perceived independence of the accident investigating body; the aviation industry's safety culture; the qualities of the investigators and the quality of their liaison with bereaved families those directly affected by the accidents they investigate. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Aviation Safety, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on January 1, 2009. The length of the article is 338 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Piper PA-32-260/Piper PA-28-236.(NTSB Reports)(aircraft accidents)(Brief article)
Author: Unavailable
Publication: Aviation Safety (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2009
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 29Issue: 1Page: 25(1)

Article Type: Brief article

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Aviation Safety, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on June 1, 2008. The length of the article is 1280 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Riding the beam: when the weathers down, stay on the ILS glideslope. It'll take you where you want to go.(ACCIDENT PROBE)(instrument landing system)
Author: Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside
Publication: Aviation Safety (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2008
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 28Issue: 6Page: 24(2)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Aviation Safety, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on November 1, 2008. The length of the article is 1390 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Departure downdraft: right after takeoff--when we're low, slow and heavy--is a lousy time to encounter convective activity.(ACCIDENT PROBE)
Author: Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside
Publication: Aviation Safety (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2008
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 28Issue: 11Page: 24(2)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Aviation Safety, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on February 1, 2010. The length of the article is 3729 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Why so many CFITs? They rank right behind stalls as a major accident result. Scud runs are the main reason, but all have one thing in common: bad judgment.(RISK MANAGEMENT)(controlled flight into terrain)
Author: Unavailable
Publication: Aviation Safety (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2010
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 30Issue: 2Page: 10(6)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Aviation Safety, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on October 1, 2009. The length of the article is 1341 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dark horizon: night VFR over a remote area can mean little or no natural horizon to help maintain aircraft control.(ACCIDENT PROBE)(visual flight rules)
Author: Joseph "Jeb" E. Burnside
Publication: Aviation Safety (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2009
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 29Issue: 10Page: 24(2)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more