
Why Planes Crash
An Accident Investigator's Fight for Safe Skies
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Mike Chamberlain
About this listen
Boarding an airplane strikes at least a small sense of fear into most people. Even though we all have heard that the odds of being struck by lightning are greater than the odds of perishing in a plane crash, it still doesn't feel that way. Airplane crashes might be rare, but they do happen, and they’re usually fatal. David Soucie insists that most of these deaths could be prevented. He’s worked as a pilot, a mechanic, an FAA inspector, and an aviation executive. He’s seen death up close and personal - deaths of colleagues and friends that might have been prevented if he had approved certain safety measures in the aircrafts they were handling. His years of experience have led Dave to become an impassioned consultant on the topic of airline safety. This includes not only advising the Obama administration, but also taking a leading role in the congressionally funded NextGen interdepartmental initiative in regards to both the department of transportation and the departments of defense, homeland security, FBI, CIA, and others. Find out the truth about airplane safety and discover what the future holds for air travel.
©2011 David Soucie (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Bomber Mafia
- A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Malcolm Gladwell, author of New York Times best sellers including Talking to Strangers and host of the podcast Revisionist History, uses original interviews, archival footage, and his trademark insight to weave together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in Central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard. As listeners hear these stories unfurl, Gladwell examines one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history.
-
-
Listen to the same story on his podcast for free
- By Dustin on 04-28-21
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
The Aviators
- Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight
- By: Winston Groom
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gifted storyteller Winston Groom, the best-selling author of Forrest Gump, has written the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight: Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Jimmy Doolittle. These cleverly interwoven tales of their heart-stopping adventures take us from the feats of World War I through the heroism of World War II and beyond, including daring military raids and survival at sea, and will appeal to fans of Unbroken, The Greatest Generation, and Flyboys.
-
-
Too much a hagiography
- By Joseph Valenzi on 09-08-15
By: Winston Groom
-
Skunk Works
- A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed
- By: Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies. Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of Cold War confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds.
-
-
Ben Rich's life story...but not in that order
- By Allstar on 11-05-16
By: Ben R. Rich, and others
-
Airframe
- A Novel
- By: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: Frances Cassidy
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Airframe is nonstop Crichton: the extraordinary mixture of super suspense and authentic information on a subject of compelling interest that has been a Crichton hallmark since The Andromeda Strain.
-
-
A Good Listen & a Solid Story
- By Vic on 06-26-03
By: Michael Crichton
-
The Checklist Manifesto
- How to Get Things Right
- By: Atul Gawande
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies - neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques: the checklist.
-
-
Riveting!
- By Tad Davis on 01-11-10
By: Atul Gawande
-
Boyd
- The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
- By: Robert Coram
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest US fighter pilot ever - the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than 40 seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country's most legendary fighter aircraft - the F-15 and F-16. Still, others think of Boyd as the most influential military theorist since Sun Tzu. They know only half the story.
-
-
Stick With It if You Want a Rare Gem
- By Michael Richards on 08-30-16
By: Robert Coram
-
The Bomber Mafia
- A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Malcolm Gladwell, author of New York Times best sellers including Talking to Strangers and host of the podcast Revisionist History, uses original interviews, archival footage, and his trademark insight to weave together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in Central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard. As listeners hear these stories unfurl, Gladwell examines one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history.
-
-
Listen to the same story on his podcast for free
- By Dustin on 04-28-21
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
The Aviators
- Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight
- By: Winston Groom
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gifted storyteller Winston Groom, the best-selling author of Forrest Gump, has written the fascinating story of three extraordinary heroes who defined aviation during the great age of flight: Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Jimmy Doolittle. These cleverly interwoven tales of their heart-stopping adventures take us from the feats of World War I through the heroism of World War II and beyond, including daring military raids and survival at sea, and will appeal to fans of Unbroken, The Greatest Generation, and Flyboys.
-
-
Too much a hagiography
- By Joseph Valenzi on 09-08-15
By: Winston Groom
-
Skunk Works
- A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed
- By: Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies. Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of Cold War confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds.
-
-
Ben Rich's life story...but not in that order
- By Allstar on 11-05-16
By: Ben R. Rich, and others
-
Airframe
- A Novel
- By: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: Frances Cassidy
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Airframe is nonstop Crichton: the extraordinary mixture of super suspense and authentic information on a subject of compelling interest that has been a Crichton hallmark since The Andromeda Strain.
-
-
A Good Listen & a Solid Story
- By Vic on 06-26-03
By: Michael Crichton
-
The Checklist Manifesto
- How to Get Things Right
- By: Atul Gawande
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies - neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques: the checklist.
-
-
Riveting!
- By Tad Davis on 01-11-10
By: Atul Gawande
-
Boyd
- The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
- By: Robert Coram
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Boyd may be the most remarkable unsung hero in all of American military history. Some remember him as the greatest US fighter pilot ever - the man who, in simulated air-to-air combat, defeated every challenger in less than 40 seconds. Some recall him as the father of our country's most legendary fighter aircraft - the F-15 and F-16. Still, others think of Boyd as the most influential military theorist since Sun Tzu. They know only half the story.
-
-
Stick With It if You Want a Rare Gem
- By Michael Richards on 08-30-16
By: Robert Coram
-
Failure Is Not an Option
- Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
- By: Gene Kranz
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gene Kranz was present at the creation of America's manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASA's Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race.
-
-
Excellent Book!
- By Kevin on 02-19-13
By: Gene Kranz
-
Area 51
- An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base
- By: Annie Jacobsen
- Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
- Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is the most famous military installation in the world. And it doesn't exist. Located a mere s75 miles outside of Las Vegas in Nevada's desert, the base has never been acknowledged by the US government - but Area 51 has captivated imaginations for decades. Annie Jacobsen had exclusive access to 19 men who served the base proudly and secretly for decades and are now aged 75-92, and unprecedented access to 55 additional military and intelligence personnel, scientists, pilots, and engineers linked to the secret base, 32 of whom lived and worked there for extended periods.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Mike From Mesa on 06-06-11
By: Annie Jacobsen
-
Command and Control
- Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety
- By: Eric Schlosser
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 20 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Famed investigative journalist Eric Schlosser digs deep to uncover secrets about the management of America's nuclear arsenal. A groundbreaking account of accidents, near misses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, Command and Control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age: How do you deploy weapons of mass destruction without being destroyed by them? That question has never been resolved - and Schlosser reveals how the combination of human fallibility and technological complexity still poses a grave risk to mankind.
-
-
A miracle that we escaped the Cold War alive....
- By A reader on 02-16-14
By: Eric Schlosser
-
Deep Survival
- True Stories of Miraculous Endurance and Sudden Death
- By: Laurence Gonzales
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After her plane crashes, a 17-year-old girl spends 11 days walking through the Peruvian jungle. Against all odds, with no food, shelter, or equipment, she gets out. A better equipped group of adult survivors of the same crash sits down and dies. What makes the difference?
-
-
Fascinating 1st Half, Cynical 2nd Half.
- By Alex Curtis on 07-05-14
-
Conspiracy of Fools
- A True Story
- By: Kurt Eichenwald
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 30 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Say the name 'Enron' and most people believe they've heard all about the story that imperiled a presidency, destroyed a marketplace, and changed Washington and Wall Street forever. But in the hands of Kurt Eichenwald, the players we think we know and the business practices we think have been exposed are transformed into entirely new, and entirely gripping, material.
-
-
Great Story
- By Adam M Pokorski on 06-06-06
By: Kurt Eichenwald
-
The 9/11 Commission Report
- Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
- By: National Commission on Terrorist Attacks
- Narrated by: Ken Borgers, Sal Giangrasso, Charlton Griffin, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9-11 Commission, was created by congressional legislation and the signature of President George W. Bush in late 2002. This independent, bipartisan commission had the task of producing a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the attack, including preparedness and immediate response, and providing recommendations designed to guard against future attacks.
-
-
Absolutely Outstanding Historical Document
- By Louie on 08-02-04
-
Chickenhawk
- By: Robert Mason
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With more than half a million copies sold, Robert Mason's Chickenhawk is one of the best-selling books ever written about the Vietnam War. Fascinated with flying from a young age, Mason earned his private pilot's license even before graduating high school. He enlisted in the army in 1964 and endured an extremely challenging "weeding out" process in an effort to fly helicopters. Sent to Vietnam, he survived more than 1,000 air combat missions despite the violence and brutality exploding all around him.
-
-
Best
- By richard olson on 08-21-15
By: Robert Mason
-
Mayday
- By: Nelson DeMille, Thomas Block
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twelve miles above the Pacific Ocean, a missile strikes a jumbo passenger jet and leaves the flight crew either crippled or dead. This is the story of how three survivors must achieve the impossible and land the plane. Master storyteller Nelson DeMille and veteran pilot Thomas Block collaborated on Mayday, the most terrifyingly realistic air disaster thriller of all time. Also available abridged.
-
-
Great adventure! Hard to put down.
- By Douglas on 02-15-03
By: Nelson DeMille, and others
-
Freight Dog: The Dark Side of Aviation
- By: Kimber C. Turner
- Narrated by: Ron Allan
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Don't worry about your tray table and seat back for this one. Forget what you've been told about the romantic notion of the airline business. It's not like what you've seen in the movies. Buckle your seat belt and join Captain Kimber C. Turner for a flight over a thirty year career of ups and downs in aviation. This story of his love/hate life in airplanes will take you from laughter to livid and back again.
-
-
Jaded employee rant.
- By samuel on 08-16-16
By: Kimber C. Turner
-
Nightmare Scenario
- Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History
- By: Yasmeen Abutaleb, Damian Paletta
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the day Donald Trump was elected, his critics warned that an unexpected crisis would test the former reality-television host - and they predicted that the president would prove unable to meet the moment. In 2020, that crisis came to pass, with the outcomes more devastating and consequential than anyone dared to imagine. Nightmare Scenario is the complete story of Donald Trump’s handling - and mishandling - of the COVID-19 catastrophe, during the period of January 2020 up to Election Day that year.
-
-
Must read
- By Red P on 06-30-21
By: Yasmeen Abutaleb, and others
-
In the Shadow of the Moon
- A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969
- By: Francis French, Colin Burgess
- Narrated by: Gary L. Willprecht
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the Shadow of the Moon tells the story of the most exciting and challenging years in spaceflight, with two superpowers engaged in a titanic struggle to land one of their own people on the moon. Drawing on interviews with astronauts, cosmonauts, their families, technicians, and scientists, as well as rarely seen Soviet and American government documents, the authors craft a remarkable story of the golden age of spaceflight as both an intimate human experience and a rollicking global adventure.
-
-
Interesting book for space afficionados
- By Leslie F. on 04-21-16
By: Francis French, and others
-
Flying Drunk
- By: Joseph Balzer
- Narrated by: Joseph Balzer
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since he was a young boy, Joe Balzer dreamed of flying. He pursued his goal with passion and earned his pilot licenses, piling up hours of flight time with a wide variety of planes and jets with one overarching goal: to one day fly for a major airline. But Joe had a problem. He was an alcoholic and refused to admit to himself that he had a problem. His alcoholism caught up with him in March 1990, when Joe was arrested with two other pilots for flying a commercial airliner while under the influence of alcohol.
-
-
Surprisingly provocative...
- By William on 11-10-09
By: Joseph Balzer
Editorial reviews
David Soucie, an aviation safety inspector and advisor on safety management to many groups, including the federal government, brings extensive experience to the writing of his impassioned memoir of his fight to make the skies safer. Elegantly performed in a normal-guy tone by Mike Chamberlain, Soucie’s audiobook is filled with up close and personal stories of harrowing tragedies and near misses. While everyone shudders at the thought of an airplane crash, preventing such crashes is Soucie’s career and purpose. Listeners will hear not only the heartrending losses but will also learn some of the physics of flight and will become inspired by the prospects for future flight safety.
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Killing Zone, 2nd Edition
- How and Why Pilots Die
- By: Paul A. Craig
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This survival guide for new pilots identifies the pitfalls waiting inside the killing zone, the period from 50 to 350 flight hours when they leave their instructors behind and fly as pilot in command for the first time. Although they're privately certified, many of these unseasoned aviators are unaware of the potential accidents that lie ahead while trying to build decision-making skills on their own - many times falling victim to inexperience.
-
-
Dry
- By Wade on 08-13-19
By: Paul A. Craig
-
The Crash Detectives
- Investigating the World's Most Mysterious Air Disasters
- By: Christine Negroni
- Narrated by: Christine Negroni
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Crash Detectives, veteran aviation journalist and air safety investigator Christine Negroni takes us inside crash investigations from the early days of the jet age to the present, including the search for answers about what happened to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. As Negroni dissects what happened and why, she explores their common themes and, most important, what has been learned from them to make planes safer.
-
-
MISSLEADING TITLE.
- By Daniel Schneider on 11-02-16
-
Plane Crashes
- The 10 Deadliest Air Disasters and the Lessons We Learned to Improve Aviation Safety
- By: Oliver Elliott
- Narrated by: Tom Brooks
- Length: 3 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Air travel is one of the safest modes of transportation, but when an aircraft crashes, the consequence is devastating. Why did they happen? Were they caused by bad weather, mechanical failure, or human errors? In this book, the author introduces the 10 deadliest plane crashes in aviation history. He goes through the key events that brought down the doomed commercial jets, and he discusses how we used the painful lessons to improve aviation safety.
-
-
Horribly Innacurate
- By Sam R. on 12-09-24
By: Oliver Elliott
-
Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2001-2003
- By: Sylvia Wrigley
- Narrated by: Charlie Boswell
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why Planes Crash offers an exciting and compelling look at the critical moments which define an aviation accident, explaining both the how and the why of catastrophic accidents in modern times. From disintegrating airliners to in-flight suicide to maintenance shortcuts, the author looks critically into each factor that might have lead to the crash. Her investigations and deep insight aim to make the listener into a witness to the investigation, and, yet, it is comprehensive enough for anyone with no aviation knowledge to understand.
-
-
Exactly what I was looking for...
- By Narada on 01-08-19
By: Sylvia Wrigley
-
Coming Back Alive
- The True Story of the Most Harrowing Search and Rescue Mission Ever Attempted on Alaska's High Seas
- By: Spike Walker
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the fishing vessel La Conte sinks suddenly at night in 100-mile-per-hour winds and record 90-foot seas during a savage storm in January 1998, her five crewmen are left to drift without a life raft in the freezing Alaskan waters and survive as best they can. One hundred fifty miles away, in Sitka, Alaska, an H-60 Jayhawk helicopter lifts off from America's most remote Coast Guard base in the hopes of tracking down an anonymous Mayday signal. A fisherman's worst nightmare has become a Coast Guard crew's desperate mission.
-
-
Outstanding Story and Performance
- By Stephen Bowlby on 05-22-18
By: Spike Walker
-
Failure Is Not an Option
- Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
- By: Gene Kranz
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gene Kranz was present at the creation of America's manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASA's Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race.
-
-
Excellent Book!
- By Kevin on 02-19-13
By: Gene Kranz
-
The Killing Zone, 2nd Edition
- How and Why Pilots Die
- By: Paul A. Craig
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This survival guide for new pilots identifies the pitfalls waiting inside the killing zone, the period from 50 to 350 flight hours when they leave their instructors behind and fly as pilot in command for the first time. Although they're privately certified, many of these unseasoned aviators are unaware of the potential accidents that lie ahead while trying to build decision-making skills on their own - many times falling victim to inexperience.
-
-
Dry
- By Wade on 08-13-19
By: Paul A. Craig
-
The Crash Detectives
- Investigating the World's Most Mysterious Air Disasters
- By: Christine Negroni
- Narrated by: Christine Negroni
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Crash Detectives, veteran aviation journalist and air safety investigator Christine Negroni takes us inside crash investigations from the early days of the jet age to the present, including the search for answers about what happened to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. As Negroni dissects what happened and why, she explores their common themes and, most important, what has been learned from them to make planes safer.
-
-
MISSLEADING TITLE.
- By Daniel Schneider on 11-02-16
-
Plane Crashes
- The 10 Deadliest Air Disasters and the Lessons We Learned to Improve Aviation Safety
- By: Oliver Elliott
- Narrated by: Tom Brooks
- Length: 3 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Air travel is one of the safest modes of transportation, but when an aircraft crashes, the consequence is devastating. Why did they happen? Were they caused by bad weather, mechanical failure, or human errors? In this book, the author introduces the 10 deadliest plane crashes in aviation history. He goes through the key events that brought down the doomed commercial jets, and he discusses how we used the painful lessons to improve aviation safety.
-
-
Horribly Innacurate
- By Sam R. on 12-09-24
By: Oliver Elliott
-
Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2001-2003
- By: Sylvia Wrigley
- Narrated by: Charlie Boswell
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why Planes Crash offers an exciting and compelling look at the critical moments which define an aviation accident, explaining both the how and the why of catastrophic accidents in modern times. From disintegrating airliners to in-flight suicide to maintenance shortcuts, the author looks critically into each factor that might have lead to the crash. Her investigations and deep insight aim to make the listener into a witness to the investigation, and, yet, it is comprehensive enough for anyone with no aviation knowledge to understand.
-
-
Exactly what I was looking for...
- By Narada on 01-08-19
By: Sylvia Wrigley
-
Coming Back Alive
- The True Story of the Most Harrowing Search and Rescue Mission Ever Attempted on Alaska's High Seas
- By: Spike Walker
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the fishing vessel La Conte sinks suddenly at night in 100-mile-per-hour winds and record 90-foot seas during a savage storm in January 1998, her five crewmen are left to drift without a life raft in the freezing Alaskan waters and survive as best they can. One hundred fifty miles away, in Sitka, Alaska, an H-60 Jayhawk helicopter lifts off from America's most remote Coast Guard base in the hopes of tracking down an anonymous Mayday signal. A fisherman's worst nightmare has become a Coast Guard crew's desperate mission.
-
-
Outstanding Story and Performance
- By Stephen Bowlby on 05-22-18
By: Spike Walker
-
Failure Is Not an Option
- Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
- By: Gene Kranz
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gene Kranz was present at the creation of America's manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASA's Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race.
-
-
Excellent Book!
- By Kevin on 02-19-13
By: Gene Kranz
What listeners say about Why Planes Crash
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fred Stellabotte
- 06-05-18
Must Read for anyone who Travels by Air
Easy to listen to, not a dry technical approach to the subject. Its more of a autobiography about a man who has greatly impacted aviation safety, while taking some hard blows by people more interested in money then safety.
The narration is superb, the story is compelling, the only negative I can think of is the title of the book, which I fear will cause readers to think its a dry technical book.
If you fly, give it a try.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- zingo
- 12-07-22
Good Listen!
As an airplane flight instructor it’s nice to get an inside look of the FAA and the role of inspector and the authors viewpoint that most aviation accidents can be prevented really hits home.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tamasha R
- 09-10-19
I enjoyed this book.
It's a good look into the issues in aviation at the time. Definitely makes me rethink flying.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Steve
- 05-26-23
A Soaring Achievement in Aviation Literature
David Soucie's "Why Planes Crash" is an extraordinary addition to aviation literature, offering a perfect blend of expert knowledge and engrossing storytelling. Soucie simplifies complex aviation phenomena, making them accessible for all readers. His narrative style is vivid and engaging, turning technical incidents into page-turning stories that enlighten and fascinate.
The book's narration superbly complements the subject matter, enhancing the reader's understanding and immersion. Soucie's deep respect for aviation and dedication to factual exploration add layers of authenticity and intrigue to his work.
"Why Planes Crash" is truly one of the best aviation reads in years. Its brilliant combination of educational content and captivating storytelling leaves you wishing for more as you turn the last page. A must-read for any aviation enthusiast and a rewarding journey for the curious reader.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mathgod
- 04-26-15
Fascinatin evolution of a conscientious investigator
If you could sum up Why Planes Crash in three words, what would they be?
Interesting, informative, personal
What did you like best about this story?
This book is NOT really about plane crashes, per se, it is a story about one mans journey to make air travel safer. David Soucie is a flawed individual and does not tried to come off as anything else. Soucie is driven because of mistakes he personally have made and although he is the hero of the book (and does act heroically sometimes) he retains his humility throughout the book.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
His investigation of the Hawaiian plane crash.
Any additional comments?
READ IT!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeff Guckin
- 08-30-20
Far fetched
The safety concepts are good and a lesson for all of us. However, the stories throughout the book seem far fetched and in some cases simply not true. The more I listened the more I couldn’t shake the feeling that none of it was true. I eventually had to stop listening, which is a shame because there is importance in the book...but it’s masked by fables.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John Vandenberg
- 01-27-21
Question with No Answers
A biography of an interesting career. Short on information of actual plane crashes. Organization insights in the FAA and NTSB are sobering.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- R Sylvia
- 09-27-20
Not exactly what I expected.
Interesting story overall, but would have preferred more about actual aircraft accidents, and the ensuing investigations and findings.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Unapologetic
- 01-01-21
Risk mitigation....paid with blood
Good read and excellent narration.
Book definitely highlights the DC circle jerk accurately. Very similar to the movie scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas...you kiss my a... you kiss his a.., you kiss his a.. etc.
Book is eye opening regarding the Tinas and Toms of the government bureaucracy, same people ignoring intel regarding 9/11 or COVID-19. Same folks who end up blaming everyone else during senate inquiries, or Congressional hearings.
Looked up Debra Entricken, and she is still in OK city. Being the best Tina she can. Thanks to Google her email can be found even though she is hiding best she can on Linkedin. That’s the problem in our society, it allows the Toms and Tinas to dig in like a tick and work hard to fight change...in turn cause lives to be ruined and good people like David Soucie to leave.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eduardo A
- 02-02-22
Average book
It doesn't go into technical details as much as I would like to hear; The book is more about author's life than safety. Some good stories though, like tictac man chapter.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!