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Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival

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'Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival' by Laurence Gonzales is a non-fiction book that delves into the harrowing events surrounding the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in 1989. The book provides a detailed account of the crash, the survivors' stories, the investigation into the mechanics of failure, and the aftermath of the tragedy. Gonzales skillfully weaves together technical details of the crash with gripping narratives of survival and recovery, offering a comprehensive and compelling insight into the human drama and the complexities of aviation disasters.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is a blend of detailed technical analysis and emotional storytelling, though at times it can feel disjointed.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative focuses on the heroic efforts during a catastrophic flight incident, exploring multiple contributing factors and a non-linear storytelling approach.

Setting:

The setting includes the crash site in Sioux City and the broader context of aviation technology and human experiences surrounding the disaster.

Pacing:

The pacing can be chaotic and overwhelming due to the non-linear storytelling, with intense emotional moments interspersed.
Martha Conant traveled regularly for her job with Hewlett-Packard in Denver. On that Wednesday, she was on her way to Philadelphia to work with a client. She didn’t even look at her ticket until she w...

Notes:

Flight 232 featured a Douglas DC-10 that lost all hydraulic systems but still managed to stay in the air.
Despite a dramatic crash resulting in fire, over half of the 296 people on board survived.
The accident was due to multiple factors combining at just the right moment.
The book discusses how safety improvements have made commercial aviation significantly safer since the accident.
The narrative style of the book shifts frequently between perspectives, making it challenging for some readers to follow.
Personal survivor stories are intertwined with technical details about the crash and its causes.
The author extensively interviewed those knowledgeable about the crash for this book.
There has been criticism regarding the graphic nature of some photographs included in the book, particularly those showing human remains.
The air traffic controllers involved in the incident are also highlighted in the book, reflecting their experiences during the crash.
The story emphasizes the human aspect of the disaster alongside the technical investigation of the crash.
The crash of Flight 232 occurred on July 19, 1989, in Sioux City, Iowa.
Two other books about the crash also exist, written by survivors, but are not referenced extensively in Gonzales's book.
The accident shows the statistical rarity of plane crashes and the aftermath's wide-ranging impact on many lives.
Gonzales's writing combines technical insights with emotional storytelling, making it a compelling read.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers/content warnings include graphic descriptions of violence, death, and traumatic injury as well as the emotional toll of survival and loss.

From The Publisher:

As hundreds of rescue workers waited on the ground, United Airlines Flight 232 wallowed drunkenly over the bluffs northwest of Sioux City. The plane slammed onto the runway and burst into a vast fireball. The rescuers didn't move at first: nobody could possibly survive that crash. And then people began emerging from the summer corn that lined the runways. Miraculously, 184 of 296 passengers lived.No one has ever attempted the complete reconstruction of a crash of this magnitude. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors, crew, and airport and rescue personnel, Laurence Gonzales, a commercial pilot himself, captures, minute by minute, the harrowing journey of pilots flying a plane with no controls and flight attendants keeping their calm in the face of certain death. He plumbs the hearts and minds of passengers as they pray, bargain with God, plot their strategies for survival, and sacrifice themselves to save others.Ultimately he takes us, step by step, through the gripping scientific detective work in super-secret labs to dive into the heart of a flaw smaller than a grain of rice that shows what brought the aircraft down.An unforgettable drama of the triumph of heroism over tragedy and human ingenuity over technological breakdown, Flight 232 is a masterpiece in the tradition of the greatest aviation stories ever told.

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About the Author:

Laurence Gonzales is the author of Surviving Survival, Flight 232, and the bestseller Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. He has won two National Magazine Awards and is a scholar at the Sante Fe Institute. He divides his time between Evanston, Illinois, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

 
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