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Airscream
DC8 Paranational Zulu Delta is on the last leg of a routine flight into Wellington. Captain Harry Standard has already started the procedure for descent.
Frank Newton, a New Zealand vet in a private Cessna, has taken off and is climbing steadily. In cloud, he is flying on instruments under the guidance of Wellington Ground Control. At 4:46 they will collide.
Airscream is a compelling and all-too-plausible novel whose action is sparked off by the worst aviation disaster in New Zealand's history: a horrifying mid-air collision over Wellington between a giant, government-owned passenger jet and a small private plane. Behind it the twisted, burning fuselage leaves a trail of carnage--and no survivors.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is of national importance, not only because New Zealand has never before been faced with such a major air accident, but also, and more crucially, because the government has its own reasons for wanting any suggestion of blame shifted onto Frank Newton, the deceased pilot of the private plane.
In a courageous attempt to clear her husband's name and see justice done, Newton's wife is thrust into battle against the airline, the government and the overwhelming complexities of big business, all of which aim to protect their own vested interests with every ounce of power they can wield. The legal tangles and courtroom statesmanship, the political intrigue and startling revelations concerning air crew and ground staff all build to a shattering climax that makes the aftermath of the disaster as powerful and shocking as the event itself.
Frank Newton, a New Zealand vet in a private Cessna, has taken off and is climbing steadily. In cloud, he is flying on instruments under the guidance of Wellington Ground Control. At 4:46 they will collide.
Airscream is a compelling and all-too-plausible novel whose action is sparked off by the worst aviation disaster in New Zealand's history: a horrifying mid-air collision over Wellington between a giant, government-owned passenger jet and a small private plane. Behind it the twisted, burning fuselage leaves a trail of carnage--and no survivors.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is of national importance, not only because New Zealand has never before been faced with such a major air accident, but also, and more crucially, because the government has its own reasons for wanting any suggestion of blame shifted onto Frank Newton, the deceased pilot of the private plane.
In a courageous attempt to clear her husband's name and see justice done, Newton's wife is thrust into battle against the airline, the government and the overwhelming complexities of big business, all of which aim to protect their own vested interests with every ounce of power they can wield. The legal tangles and courtroom statesmanship, the political intrigue and startling revelations concerning air crew and ground staff all build to a shattering climax that makes the aftermath of the disaster as powerful and shocking as the event itself.
348 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 27, 2018
Read this a long long time ago in school..
one of my dad's books....
but wow.. what an ending.. never saw that coming...
one of my dad's books....
but wow.. what an ending.. never saw that coming...
March 7, 2016
I first read this book close on 20 years ago when my brother, an aviation fanatic, strongly recommended it. I have never forgotten it so when I saw it recently, I just had to reread it.
I am sure the author must have been an air crash investigator or similar otherwise he has done his homework big time. The portrayal of the crash, millisecond by millisecond is unforgettable. The politico/compensatory background is excellent and smells very real.
At the same time his character portrayals are superb, even if he is detailing their lives only to kill them a chapter or two on!
Warning. This book was written in the 1970s when attitudes to LBGT were rather different than today, but it is a book of it's time.
I love this book.
I am sure the author must have been an air crash investigator or similar otherwise he has done his homework big time. The portrayal of the crash, millisecond by millisecond is unforgettable. The politico/compensatory background is excellent and smells very real.
At the same time his character portrayals are superb, even if he is detailing their lives only to kill them a chapter or two on!
Warning. This book was written in the 1970s when attitudes to LBGT were rather different than today, but it is a book of it's time.
I love this book.
March 29, 2026
This looked like it was going to be an exciting 70's disaster novel. It's a disaster, but not of the exciting variety. Starts out with a couple of relationship stories, followed by a lot of technical flying detail, then the crash, then moves into some search and rescue business, but it's all really boring.
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October 2, 2008A Bru
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews