Flight 427: Anatomy of an Air Disaster

by Gerry Byrne

Book Overview

The main differentiating quality of this book is that it portrays the complex interaction of different experts and opposing interests in investigating and solving the mystery of this single crash, and the recurrent problem that plagued the Boeing 737, the world's most successful and safest airliner.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 038795256X
• ISBN13: 9780387952567
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: Copernicus Books
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Account Of The 737 Rudder Accidents And Issues

"Flight 427" is a book that Gerry Byrne can be rightfully proud of. I have been interested in this subject for many years now both as an airline pilot (I flew the 737 for almost two years, and must in all candor say that it was my least favorite of the nine different airliner types that I have flown; In all fairness to Boeing, many of my colleagues seem to really enjoy flying the 737, but after my personal experience with the plane, I still can't understand why) and a student (I wrote my Master's thesis on a quantitative systems safety comparison of 737 and A-320 primary flight control systems.) Of the two books on the market which focus on USAir flight 427 (the other, by Bill Adair, is also excellent) I give this one the slight edge for the average reader or the person most interested in how the NTSB "Party System" functions at a major aviation accident. Byrne carefully weaves the story of flight 427 in with the earlier United 585 accident (same cause) and the later Eastwind 517 incident (also the same cause) skillfully and with generally quite good technical accuracy (there are a couple of very minor technical errors, but they are inconsequential and would not be noticed by most people.) What I really appreciate about the book is Byrne's breadth of sources in reporting on not only well known and understood matters, but also on very obscure, but important background information like all the early Frontier 737 rudder malfunctions, which few are familiar with. The real story here is of the frustrating experience of investigating such a complex and politically charged investigation. There is no question that Boeing comes off looking bad by the end of the book, and I have to admit, deservedly so. The only weakness in the book is the total lack of illustrations. This is a topic that could really use illustrations, particularly when Byrne starts discussing things like the interior functions of the dual-concentric servo valve, which was ultimately the problem here. This is a great book, and I highly recommend it.

Clear and concise account

The author Gerry Byrne ought to be proud of this book. The book starts off with the crash of United flight 585 in Colorado Springs, another Boeing 737 aircraft that mysteriously flipped over and crashed while trying to land. The investigation of the United accident opened the door to a possible design problem with the rudder on the 737 airplane. The book then covers the US Air flight 427 accident that crashed in a way very similar to United 585. I couldn't put this book down. Even though this book is non-fiction and at times very technical it is written in a way that is comfortable to read and you really understand the detail in context with what is very complex story. There is one point in the book where Gerry describes a rudder test conducted at Boeing on a rainy night where an engineer finally is able to reproduce a rudder reversal problem which was suspected by the NTSB for a long time. In context with the story this was a point where you really breath a sigh of releif... But even than the story the investigation takes more unsuspected turns. Great book.

Good, but lacking

I agree with the other reviews of this book in that the author does a great job of keeping you interested and making it entertaining. However, I feel that book would have been greatly enhanced with the addition of some technical drawings or illustrations. The descriptions get somewhat complicated at times, and a diagram or two would ensure clear understanding. If you aren't interested in the details, then as it is written should be fine, but if you want to understand completly, diagrams are required. I also think the text jumps around quite a bit in time, not following a strictly linear timeline. While this makes for easier reading in following specific tangents and topics, it clouds the overall understanding of what is going on... I have read many crash investigation books, and this one does a credible job of mixing storytelling with technical explanations.

Eases you gently into flying, and crashing

Despite the lack of pictures, I was surprised with the ease with which this writer pulled me into what becomes a very complicated technical detective story about the problems which caused two 737s to crash and few other near misses. He carefully introduces things and explains them early on so that even the layperson who knows nothing about flying can easily follow the plot (my girlfiend can't change a lighbulb and she's reading it now). For example, I'm fascinated by aviation but never knew so much about the way crashes get investigated. Apart from telling in some detail the story of two 737 crashes, this book is a good introduction to the field of air crash investigation and one of the best of the four on the subject I've read so far. It's a departure from the norm of disaster books where there is usually a lot about the victims and their relatives. This book lets the issues speak for themselves and exposes the real scandal of these crashes. This book is a wakeup call for the FAA and the people who design airplanes.

A technological thriller

It's hard to imagine that a book about an air crash could be a page-turner in the style of a Ludlum or Clancy, but Flight 427 manages to be just that: it's a book about hi-tech sleuths racing against time and looming danger to solve an unfathomable mystery: why commercial airliners in seemingly perfect working order flipped over and fell from the sky. Author Bryne manages this in a style that is both suspenseful and educational: I learned a lot about wind, weather, piloting, and flight without ever feeling I was being taught. The most astonishing thing I learned was that the suspected culprit in the crash of 427 (and other crashes and near-crashes) is still in the tail rudders of 737s flying today: that the fix would take so long to implement tells you a lot about the intersection of commerce (the already tottering airline industry could not withstand a grounding of 737s), science, and government. And that could be the most chilling aspect of this jet-age spy story. Highly recommended for anyone interested in technology and/or aviation. (Maybe not for anyone already afraid of flying!)