Clipper 806: The anatomy of an air disaster

By John Godson

Book Overview

A rainy night in the South Pacific in January 1974: Pan American Flight 806, a Boeing 707 on routine flight from Sydney to San Francisco, makes a belly landing into the Polynesian jungle near Pago... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809281007
• ISBN13: 9780809281008
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Contemporary Books, Incorporated
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book - well researched

I read this book thirty years after it was first published. It still is a mesmerizing account of one of mankind's worst nightmares - the air crash. Well worth the time to read.

Thirty Years Old But Still Worth Reading

In January of 1974, a Pan Am 707 from New Zealand crashed on landing at Pago Pago in American Samoa, killing almost 100 people. The accident is not well known, because it happened in a remote area and was quickly overshadowed by more horrific air disasters in the months and years to follow. Godson tells the complete story of this calamity, focusing on accounts from the few survivors. His book also gives details on several other crashes from the period that help shed light on the crash. In the second half Godson examines why the accident took place, explaining that extreme weather currents likely forced the plane to a low altitude and produced false readings in the cockpit. Perhaps the most chilling section explains why so few escaped alive. Only ten made it out of the plane and of these only four recovered from their injuries, even though only one was injured by the crash itself. Apparently the plastics used in the jet produced hydrogen cyanide when burned, giving passengers mere seconds to exit safely before breathing in the deadly gas. Godson's conclusions may not be news to many air crash researchers of today, but likely would have been for many in the 70's, who had experienced far fewer such accidents. In any event, his book is informative and never boring.