This book discusses the science behind plane crashes. The chapters examine the worst plane crashes in history, explain how aircraft fail, and show how scientists and engineers are designing safer aircraft. Diagrams, charts, and photos provide opportunities to evaluate and understand the scientific concepts involved.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- 1 Takeoff! -- 2 Takeoff (Never Mind!) -- 3 Controlling the Plane -- 4 Vanished! -- 5 Practice Makes Perfect -- 6 Turbulence -- 7 The 168-Ton Glider -- 8 Approach -- 9 Landing -- Epilogue -- Notes -- References -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y

This fascinating story explains how aviation crashes are investigated, and what goes on behind the scenes to improve safety. It is also the untold saga of how one maverick scientist battled the bureaucracy to save lives. Federal officials hired him to prevent an anticipated bloodbath from airline deregulation. He soon introduced innovations, such as Crew Resource Management training, which dramatically reduced airline accidents. However, when he dared expose lies to Congress, officials used the sky marshals to harass him. They then ignored his other programs, which contributed to countless unnecessary deaths -- including JFK Junior's. Becoming a military safety guru, his important tasks included training Air Force One crews, and going undercover to discover why a mysterious Soviet airliner crash killed an African president. But he was fired for blowing the whistle on the Pentagon cover-up of the worst fratricide since Vietnam. Congress and other important organizations have often sought his advice on civil and military aviation problems.

The black box is orange—and there are actually two of them. They house the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder, instruments vital to airplane crash analyses. But accident investigators cannot rely on the black boxes alone. Beginning with the 1931 Fokker F-10A crash that killed legendary football coach Knute Rockne, this fascinating book provides a behind-the-scenes look at plane wreck investigations. Professor George Bibel shows how forensic experts, scientists, and engineers analyze factors like impact, debris, loading, fire patterns, metallurgy, fracture, crash testing, and human tolerances to determine why planes fall from the sky—and how the information gleaned from accident reconstruction is incorporated into aircraft design and operation to keep commercial aviation as safe as possible.

Looking from several viewpoints at the different factors involved in causing aircraft accidents, this book also describes some crucial incidents which puzzle the investigators. It explains the painstaking work of reconstructing the precise sequence of events which brought about a disaster and how clues are found that throw light on what actually happened. Other topics include the present state of aviation safety and the challenges facing the future of the industry.

The perfect companion to any flight - a guide to the science on view from your window seat. There are few times when science is so immediate as when you're in a plane. Your life is in the hands of the scientists and engineers who enable tons of metal and plastic to hurtle through the sky at hundreds of miles an hour. Inflight Science shows how you stay alive up there - but that's only the beginning. Brian Clegg explains the ever changing view, whether it's crop circles or clouds, mountains or river deltas, and describes simple experiments to show how a wing provides lift, or what happens if you try to open a door in midair (don't!). On a plane you'll experience the impact of relativity, the power of natural radiation and the effect of altitude on the boiling point of tea. Among the many things you'll learn is why the sky is blue, the cause of thunderstorms and the impact of volcanic ash in an enjoyable tour of mid-air science. Every moment of your journey is an opportunity to experience science in action: Inflight Science will be your guide.

Basic Science and Art of Aircraft Wreckage Reconstruction is a unique title which addresses important aspects of investigating crashes, who does this kind of work, and how a healthy attitude and open mind are required to properly perform investigations. It also discusses what to expect from the on-scene part of the investigation, and the fundamental approaches to common types of wreckage reconstruction. Written by Don Knutson, a veteran of this industry, Basic Science and Art of Aircraft Wreckage Reconstruction is intended for the practitioner, student, or those who are simply curious about how aircraft wreckage is reconstructed. Full references are provided in the various chapters for additional reading and research. Many examples of aircraft crash scenarios and circumstances are presented in a "generic" form but relate to actual investigations, which should prove as a useful investigative resource whether you are an apprentice or an experience professional with a government aviation agency (NTSB, AAIB, FAA, etc.), an aircraft/engine/component manufacturer, military branch, insurance company, law enforcement agency, or a law firm. Basic Science and Art of Aircraft Wreckage Reconstruction is a must-read book for all who are passionate about the subject and want to understand how this activity actually happens in the field.