num_pages: 336
description: On an icy night in October 1984 a Piper Navajo commuter plane carrying 9 passengers crashed in the remote wilderness of northern Alberta killing 6 people. Four the rookie pilot a prominent politician a cop and the criminal he was escorting to face charges. Despite the poor weather Erik Vogel the 24-year-old pilot was under intense pressure to fly--a situation not uncommon to pilots working for small airlines. Overworked and exhausted he feared losing his job if he refused to fly. Larry Shaben the author's father and Canada's first Muslim Cabinet Minister was commuting home after a busy week at the Alberta Legislature. After Paul Archambault a drifter wanted on an outstanding warrant boarded the plane rookie Constable Scott Deschamps decided against RCMP regulations to remove his handcuffs--a decision that profoundly impacted the men's survival. As they fought through the night to stay alive the dividing lines of power wealth and status were erased and each man was forced to confront the precious and limited nature of his existence. The survivors forged unlikely friendships and through them found strength and courage to rebuild their lives. Into the Abyss is a powerful narrative that combines in-depth reporting with sympathy and grace to explore how a single tragic event can upset our assumptions and become a catalyst for transformation.
language: English
title: Into the Abyss: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop
publisher: Random House Canada