Black Box: Inside the World's Worst Air Crashes

by Nicholas Faith

The smash-hit bestseller about the world's worst air crashes and the disaster detectives who pick through the wreckage to find out why they happened - now fully revised and updated, with 30% new material.
From the early tragedies of the Comet and the DC10 to the modern-day horror of the Concorde catastrophe in Paris and the mysterious loss of an Air France Airbus over the Atlantic, Faith painstakingly recreates the accidents, explains what went wrong and discusses how they can be prevented from recurring. It's a gripping, fascinating and chilling book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Aviation, Science, Technology, History

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Nicholas Faith is a former senior editor for the Sunday Times and The Economist, a journalist and author.

He has written widely on wines, spirits and transport.

In 1996 he founded the International Spirits Challenge.

In September 2010 Nicholas Faith was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Bureau National Interprofessional de Cognac.

Reviews

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

A morbid curiosity makes me sometimes watch television programs about plane accidents or read about them in printed stories. The front cover of this book says “The book every air traveller should read” but I’m not so sure about that. As interesting as it was to read sometimes ignorance is bliss. I deliberately chose to read this knowing that I am not going to be undertaking any air travel anytime soon.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is entirely personal to me and my tastes. I found it was neither technical enough to appeal to the nerd in me, nor gory enough for the shameful ghoul in me. Perfectly serviceable book nonetheless.

[D C GRIMSDELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't read while on a long haul flight

One of the best books, whether fiction or non-fiction, that I have read in a long, long time.

In a way, I'm quite glad that I am disabled (I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2007 and this has progressed over the last 10 years, to the state where my 2nd marriage has collapsed so I am divorced again and I was forced to quit working in 2011, so have got plenty of time to read books like this one) as being in that state means I can probably still afford the cost of flying to a lot of places, thanks to the influx of low cost airlines like Ryanair, who have flown my ex-wife and myself to many European destinations, but I cannot afford the travel insurance.

I love flying. Even after reading this book and having watched every episode of Air Crash Investigations (known overseas as Mayday) I will still love it. But my goodness, the tales of what caused so many planes to crash really is an eyeopener. I recommend this to you. But on the understanding that when on your next flight you watch the safety demonstration before it takes off, and you have located and counted where all the safety exits off the plane are.

Just in case you need them.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not enough detail - it’s like a survey course of plane crashes. Poorly written jumping from incident to incident with little connection

[Kurt Rackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent updated edition, an accessible book for the public

This was originally published as a companion volume for Black Box, the best TV series ever made in the subject of air crash investigations, back in the 90s.

This updated version maintains the high standard of information and background without digging too deeply into the technical minutiae of the investigations. Factual, but told with journalistic aplomb, it packs a load of excellent case studies into one accessible volume.

The author clearly has a thing about the French, which is the only unfortunate and inaccurate aspect of an otherwise excellent book. I had the privilege of attending two BEA presentations on their investigations of Concorde and AF 447 and both were extremely professional, thorough and balanced, in sharp contrast to their characterisation in this book. I suppose you can't have everything, but despite the jingoism in that regard, this probably the best book for the layman on the subject I've seen to date.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1996, 'Black Box'- Why Air Safety is No Accident' is a summary of the way in which air safety methods have developed into what they are at the time of print. Specific crashes that lead to changes in the rules are looked at closely, as they are seen as key events in the development in modern safety methods. They detail is most interesting, if a little gruesome at times. Of course, being published in 1996 it is 28 years behind the times, which explains why later updated editions are also listed under this heading. I learned a lot about so-called Black Box voice and Data recorders, really useful as I had been fed so many misleading myths about them in the past. Written in conjunction with a Channel 4 production about air safety at that time.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book overall. It needs to be said that it deals primarily with the broader context and core causes of different crashes, sometimes found in non obvious areas, and on the work of investigators.
It does not focus on gory and shocking details of individual crashes. If you want minute-by-minute breakdown, incl. pictures, cockpit recordings etc., LOOK ELSEWHERE.
If you are familiar with the crashes in the book (e.g. Tenerife, KAL007, Lockerbie), add a star.

[Joan Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously informative

Many of the accidents that I had followed on the news left questions in my mind. This answered most of them and debunked several others. It also have me intense appreciation for the dedicated people of the NTSB and other investigatory agencies that work these tragedies.

[Michael Marchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous

An immense amount of research and background is found in these pages. It’s by far the finest book on airplane incidents that I’ve read to date - and I’ve read many. An excellently written book. Highest recommendation

[Studvet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really quite brilliant and fascinating and lead me to investigate many of the crashes cited further. Best book I have read on the sub

[Thomas Guiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reading

Very good and accurate information that isn't always the way the press reported it.Its hard to put the book down

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a miracle any planes land safely. I have to admit, I am totally put off on air travel now. I just don't know if I could stop myself from thinking about the hundreds of disasters recounted in this exhaustive compendium. While there is a lot of engineering speak, it is just readable enough to be a page-turner. Brace yourself, though. The horrors you should expect from choosing this book are all in there. I just couldn't resist, and now I am checking out train schedules. Now if I can just steer clear of train disaster books...

[Russ Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

probably not a good idea to read on the plane this summer... I found it a very interesting read as it goes into details on individual causes / reasons for some of the most significant plane crashes of the last 50 odd years, & how this has helped to make air travel as safe as it can be now (suicidal pilots not withstanding). Still, there are enough bits in it to make you shiver... which I won't go into detail about. Still, I flew on a DC10 once and lived to tell the tale - despite a suspicious looking lap of something dangling precariously over one engine.

[Robert Breeze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, but no pictures?

The copy in this book was easy to follow, except instead of concentrating on what the title promises, it kind of hops around instead of giving specific information on the worst crashes. But the thing that is unforgivable is that there are no photos. None. I kept thinking, well maybe they're at the end, but no. Considering my disappointment, I can only give it a 3.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have learned that reading this book on board an airplane definitely gets you some odd looks from your fellow passengers. It provides a lot of interesting insight into what causes airplane crashes (spoiler: it's about 50% maintenance failures, 25% pilot error and 25% just bad luck). I think it could have been about 25% shorter and been a better read, but it's definitely worth a look for those interested in the topic.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Air crash investigation is a facinating subject and this book is insightful and easy to read. I will say it has added to my fear of flying "a lot" so be warned if you are about to fly in the near future.

[Emmett Racecar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just because it the scariest book that I have yet to read.

[Greg Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good look at both crash investigations and the root cause for a bunch of them.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book just as the pilot, mid flight, announced that our plane had a "minor mechanical issue" and was being returned to ATL. Suffice it to say - this book has immense power.

[Paul McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might make some additional people pay attention during the safety demonstration. The book covers most of the best known plane crashes and the whys behind them. A very interesting book.

[Alex Cruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very in-depth look at all factors involving aviation incidents.