Against a backdrop of inadequate funding, misplaced priorities and a lack of manpower, American commercial aviation in the 1960s was in a perilous state. In July 1967, when a Piedmont Airlines Boeing 727 collided with a Cessna 310 over Hendersonville, North Carolina, killing 82 people, the industry was in crisis. Congress called hearings on aviation safety and government and union officials pressured President Lyndon Johnson to request increased funding for aviation safety. But the National Transportation Safety Board's probe into the crash was flawed from the start. The investigative team was made up of individuals whose companies had certain interests in the outcome. The lead investigator was the brother of the vice president of Piedmont Airlines. In an effort to shift blame from the government and Piedmont, critical conversations recorded on tape never made it into the NTSB's report. Maintenance and training records, as well as industry warnings of the 727's operational limitations, were also omitted. This book reveals the true story of the investigation: what was left out and why.

"This book sets forth in detail eighty-nine of the world's most serious (in terms of human lives lost) airplane disasters starting in 1927. The narrative coverage includes those events preceding a particular calamity, often the excruciating search for a missing plane, the sad task of body recovery, and the vital investigative efforts leading to a probable cause, lessons learned, and progressive measures required to prevent or minimize repeat occurrences."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

At the height of the Watergate scandal, Delta Flight 723 crashed into a fog-shrouded seawall at the end of Runway 4R at Logan Airport in Boston. While this incident and Watergate seemed unrelated at first, President Richard Nixon and his subordinates' actions during Watergate interfered with the ability of the National Transportation Safety Board to properly investigate the crash. It wasn't until three court cases, a federal investigation, congressional hearings, as well as a state investigation, when the true cause of the accident was exposed ten years later. This is also the story of Air Force Sergeant Leopold Chouinard and his incredible fight for survival. Chouinard survived the initial impact of the crash, only to suffer third and fourth degree burns on the majority of his body. Doctors fought against incredible odds to try and save Chouinard's life. For 134 days, Leo Chouinard defied all expectations as his doctors and nurses applied the latest advancements in burn treatments to save him from a non-survivable accident. They nearly succeeded. Through interviews with Chouinard's family, his physicians, and the NTSB's investigation, comes a story of corruption, determination, and vindication as well as the answer to what really caused that crash at Logan airport.

Founded by Thomas H. Davis in 1948, Piedmont Airlines was one of the most respected regional airlines of its time. This exhaustive history follows the airline from its humble beginnings at Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to its 1989 absorption into USAir after a buyout at the highest price ever commanded by a regional airline. Drawing upon corporate documents, local news stories, and countless personal interviews with former Piedmont employees, the author tells the airline's history in detail. Nearly 100 photographs show the airline's development, and two appendices provide comprehensive lists of its fleet and service destinations. Fully indexed.

At the height of the Watergate scandal, Delta Flight 723 crashed into a fog-shrouded seawall at the end of Runway 4R at Logan Airport in Boston. While this incident and Watergate seemed unrelated at first, President Richard Nixon and his subordinates' actions during Watergate interfered with the ability of the National Transportation Safety Board to properly investigate the crash. It wasn't until three court cases, a federal investigation, congressional hearings, as well as a state investigation, when the true cause of the accident was exposed ten years later. This is also the story of Air Force Sergeant Leopold Chouinard and his incredible fight for survival. Chouinard survived the initial impact of the crash, only to suffer third and fourth degree burns on the majority of his body. Doctors fought against incredible odds to try and save Chouinard's life. For 134 days, Leo Chouinard defied all expectations as his doctors and nurses applied the latest advancements in burn treatments to save him from a non-survivable accident. They nearly succeeded. Through interviews with Chouinard's family, his physicians, and the NTSB's investigation, comes a story of corruption, determination, and vindication as well as the answer to what really caused that crash at Logan airport.