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Flight 111: The Tragedy Of The Swissair Crash
"Swissair 1-1-1 is declaring Pan Pan Pan. We have smoke in the cockpit." Seventeen minutes after the co-pilot's distress call, the Geneva-bound jet crashed into the Atlantic off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia just over an hour after leaving New York on September 2, 1998, killing all 229 people on board.
Now, a year later, acclaimed journalist Stephen Kimber tells the moving story of the crash and its far-reaching human consequences. Kimber introduces us to a wide variety of from the victims and their families to the recovery teams, pathologists and investigators who are still searching for answers. As with any disaster, the effects are unpredictable and heartwrenching. In a fast-paced and compelling style, Flight 111 traces the interconnected paths of the people whose fates were forever altered by what happened that night.
Now, a year later, acclaimed journalist Stephen Kimber tells the moving story of the crash and its far-reaching human consequences. Kimber introduces us to a wide variety of from the victims and their families to the recovery teams, pathologists and investigators who are still searching for answers. As with any disaster, the effects are unpredictable and heartwrenching. In a fast-paced and compelling style, Flight 111 traces the interconnected paths of the people whose fates were forever altered by what happened that night.
- GenresNonfiction
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1999
6 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Kimber
22 books47 followersSTEPHEN KIMBER, a Professor of Journalism at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Canada and co-founder of King's MFA in Creative Nonfiction program, is an award-winning writer, editor and broadcaster.
His two most recent books include a novel — The Sweetness in the Lime (Nimbus, 2020) — and a work of nonfiction, Alexa! Changing the Face of Canadia Politics (Goose Lane, 2021).
Alexa is the biography of iconic Canadian feminist political leader Alexa McDonough.
Sweetness is a love story set in Havana, Halifax and Miami. It tells the story of Eli, a resolutely single, fiftysomething newspaper copy editor who spends his nights obsessing over reporters’ unnecessary “thats” and his days caring for a demented father he knows should be in twenty-four-hour care. Then, on a single day, he loses his job and his father dies. He ends up adrift in Cuba where he falls in love with Mariela, an off-the-books Havana tour guide. But does Eli really fall for Mariela or just for the idea of her? And does she actually love him, or is he just her ticket to a better life. They both have secrets they’re not willing to share until they have no choice. The Sweetness in the Lime is "a charming, clever novel that peels back the rind to discover there really is sweetness in the lime of life."
Kimber is also the author of ten other books, including another novel, Reparations (HarperCollins, 2006), and eight non-fiction titles — What Lies Across the Water: The Real Story of the Cuban Five (Fernwood 2013); IWK: A Century of Caring (Nimbus 2009); Loyalists and Layabouts: The Rapid Rise and Faster Fall of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, 1783-1792 (Doubleday 2008); Sailors, Slackers and Blind Pigs: Halifax at War (Doubleday 2002); NOT GUILTY: The Trial of Gerald Regan (Stoddart 1999); Flight 111: The Tragedy of the Swissair Crash (Doubleday 1999); More Than Just Folks (Pottersfield 1996); and Net Profits (Nimbus 1990). He is also co-author of the book The Spirit of Africville (Formac 1992) and the most recent updated edition of Thomas Raddall’s classic Halifax: Warden of the North (Nimbus 2010).
Since 1983, he has taught journalism at the University of King’s College, where he specializes in creative nonfiction. From 1996 to 2003 and in 2007-08 and 2013-14, he was Director of the School of Journalism.
In 2001, he completed a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction degree at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.
He and his wife, Jeanie Steinbock Kimber, live in Halifax. They have three grown children.
His two most recent books include a novel — The Sweetness in the Lime (Nimbus, 2020) — and a work of nonfiction, Alexa! Changing the Face of Canadia Politics (Goose Lane, 2021).
Alexa is the biography of iconic Canadian feminist political leader Alexa McDonough.
Sweetness is a love story set in Havana, Halifax and Miami. It tells the story of Eli, a resolutely single, fiftysomething newspaper copy editor who spends his nights obsessing over reporters’ unnecessary “thats” and his days caring for a demented father he knows should be in twenty-four-hour care. Then, on a single day, he loses his job and his father dies. He ends up adrift in Cuba where he falls in love with Mariela, an off-the-books Havana tour guide. But does Eli really fall for Mariela or just for the idea of her? And does she actually love him, or is he just her ticket to a better life. They both have secrets they’re not willing to share until they have no choice. The Sweetness in the Lime is "a charming, clever novel that peels back the rind to discover there really is sweetness in the lime of life."
Kimber is also the author of ten other books, including another novel, Reparations (HarperCollins, 2006), and eight non-fiction titles — What Lies Across the Water: The Real Story of the Cuban Five (Fernwood 2013); IWK: A Century of Caring (Nimbus 2009); Loyalists and Layabouts: The Rapid Rise and Faster Fall of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, 1783-1792 (Doubleday 2008); Sailors, Slackers and Blind Pigs: Halifax at War (Doubleday 2002); NOT GUILTY: The Trial of Gerald Regan (Stoddart 1999); Flight 111: The Tragedy of the Swissair Crash (Doubleday 1999); More Than Just Folks (Pottersfield 1996); and Net Profits (Nimbus 1990). He is also co-author of the book The Spirit of Africville (Formac 1992) and the most recent updated edition of Thomas Raddall’s classic Halifax: Warden of the North (Nimbus 2010).
Since 1983, he has taught journalism at the University of King’s College, where he specializes in creative nonfiction. From 1996 to 2003 and in 2007-08 and 2013-14, he was Director of the School of Journalism.
In 2001, he completed a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction degree at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.
He and his wife, Jeanie Steinbock Kimber, live in Halifax. They have three grown children.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 21, 2012
Having watched an episode about this crash on the show "Aircrash Investigation", I jumped at the chance of reading a book about the accident. This book, however, was written and published fairly soon after the crash and whilst the investigation was still happening. The cause of the crash was alluded to several times in the book, so obviously the investigators were on the right track for quite some time.
Whilst the TV show dealt more with the engineering, weather conditions, etc, this book went into detail about some of the crash victims' families, and the victims themselves - who they were, why they were on that flight, what happened to their lives after that crash, etc. Also, who were some of the volunteer rescuers, locals, investigative professionals, etc. It was good to get that perspective of the crash, to understand the human suffering and cost. I felt at times, though, that the details were too detailed. For example, did we really need to know about one of the victim's and his widow's sex life?
The forensics aspect of the crash was somewhat grisly but fascinating at the same time. The sheer force of the impact and what effects that had on both machine and human, was mind boggling.
If you read this book without any background as to the crash and what caused it, I would urge you to watch the relevant episode of "Aircrash Investigation", to get the full picture.
Whilst the TV show dealt more with the engineering, weather conditions, etc, this book went into detail about some of the crash victims' families, and the victims themselves - who they were, why they were on that flight, what happened to their lives after that crash, etc. Also, who were some of the volunteer rescuers, locals, investigative professionals, etc. It was good to get that perspective of the crash, to understand the human suffering and cost. I felt at times, though, that the details were too detailed. For example, did we really need to know about one of the victim's and his widow's sex life?
The forensics aspect of the crash was somewhat grisly but fascinating at the same time. The sheer force of the impact and what effects that had on both machine and human, was mind boggling.
If you read this book without any background as to the crash and what caused it, I would urge you to watch the relevant episode of "Aircrash Investigation", to get the full picture.
January 30, 2026
I was pleased to read a respectful account of this tragedy in my home province of Nova Scotia. Although the suspense of a fiction thriller is not there, the pain and suffering is documented for all to hear. I was disappointed to see the low rating of 3.96 in my opinion should be closer to my 4.3 Stars
February 4, 2022
Excellently researched and written, Stephen Kimber did justice to a horrific airplane accident.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews