Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2002

Book excerpt: The second book in the Why Planes Crash series covers incidents and accidents in 2002, including two in-flight suicides, the Sknyliv airshow disaster, how to write off a Saab 2000, an aircraft collision over the runway, a dramatic river landing, Air China 129’s flight into a Korean mountain, and finally, an in-depth view of the Überlingen mid-air collision. Accidents are invariably a combination of factors, and pilot decisions and (in)actions can be the result of a culmination of those factors. A strong investigation will not only consider the cause but the contributing factors: those actions or inactions which could have saved the day but didn’t. The objective in accident investigations around the world is not to cast blame, but to understand every aspect so that we can stop it happening again. Unravelling the mystery is the most important step.