The Mystery of Flight 427: Inside a Crash Investigation
In 1994, a Boeing 737 operated by USAir suddenly and inexplicably nosed over and went into an uncontrollable dive. In 28 seconds, some 132 people died. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators worked for five years to determine the cause. While NTSB, the FAA, Boeing, the pilots' union, and the airline pursued the engineering issues, survivors and lawyers pursued the personal need for closure, revenge, and compensation. Each party had its own agenda, and orchestrating the many voices over a lengthy and frustrating investigation was difficult. Adair, a writer for the St. Petersburg Times, closely follows the investigation as it creates and discards hundreds of theories, from bird impact to Mafia assassination. He dissects the enormously complicated investigation and ably explains the many competing issues that make aircraft disasters so difficult to bring to closure. His examination of the behind-the-scenes work that shapes airline safety policy is detailed and absorbing. Recommended for aeronautics, public policy, and journalism collections. Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, KSCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.