Deadly Turbulence
The Air Safety Lessons of Braniff Flight 250 and Other Airliners, 1959-1966
Published on 27. March 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
236 pages
978-0-7864-7433-2 (ISBN)
Description
Jet airliner operations in the United States began in 1958, bringing, it was thought, a new era of fast, high, safe, smooth, sophisticated travel. But almost immediately, the new aircraft were involved in incidents and accidents that showed jets created new problems even as they solved old ones. This book discusses five disasters or near-disasters of the early Jet Age, experiences which shook the industry, regulators and public out of early complacency and helped build a more realistic foundation for safer air transportation.
Special attention is paid to the 1966 destruction of Braniff International Airways Flight 250 in Nebraska. Nearly two years of inquiry helped advance the understanding of jet operations in severe weather and saw the first use of cockpit voice recorder technology in an aviation accident investigation. In addition, a University of Chicago professor, Dr. Tetsuya "Ted" Fujita, conducted a more intensive investigation of the weather system which downed Flight 250. Dr. Fujita's already extensive knowledge of thunderstorms and tornadoes led to his creation of the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity, the F-scale that we hear about so frequently during storm season.
Special attention is paid to the 1966 destruction of Braniff International Airways Flight 250 in Nebraska. Nearly two years of inquiry helped advance the understanding of jet operations in severe weather and saw the first use of cockpit voice recorder technology in an aviation accident investigation. In addition, a University of Chicago professor, Dr. Tetsuya "Ted" Fujita, conducted a more intensive investigation of the weather system which downed Flight 250. Dr. Fujita's already extensive knowledge of thunderstorms and tornadoes led to his creation of the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity, the F-scale that we hear about so frequently during storm season.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Jefferson, NC
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
33 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
390 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7864-7433-2 (9780786474332)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Retired public school educator Steve Pollock fell in love with airliners at the age of five during a fateful encounter with a brand-new Pan Am 747. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Content
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Prologue
Part I.?"I don't sleep well nights"
1.?The Day the Movies Almost Died: Pan American World Airways Flight 115
2.?Melting Into a Threatening Sky: Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705
3.?"Unusual conditions and circumstances": The Investigation of Northwest Orient Flight 705
4.?"A turbulence problem"? Persistent Questions
5.?"It broke the sound barrier at least once": United Airlines Flight 746
6.?"The Nation's Most Progressive Airline": Eastern Air Lines
7.?A Strange, Weird Thing: Eastern Air Lines Flight 301
8.?Disappeared into the Overcast: Eastern Air Lines Flight 304
9.?Extraordinary Lives: Grant Newby, -Marie-Helene Lefaucheux and Kenneth Lee Spencer
10.?"Extreme disintegration of the aircraft structure": The Investigation of Eastern Air Lines Flight 304
Part II.?Falls City
11.?Dusting Off a Dusty Little Airline: Braniff International Airways
12.?Airstrip: "The End of the Plain Plane"
13.?Fastback Jet: The BAC One-11
14.?Happy Birthday! Bill Schock and That Night in August
15.?Milk Run: Braniff International Flight 250
16.?"One big, terrible nightmare": Flight 250 and Falls City
17.?"Ease power back": The Investigation of Braniff Flight 250
18.?Mr. Tornado: Dr. Ted Fujita and the Squall Line of August 6-7, 1966
19.?Knocked from the Sky: A -High-Intensity Force
Part III.?Postscript
20.?New Normals: The "Before" and "After" Times
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
Preface
Prologue
Part I.?"I don't sleep well nights"
1.?The Day the Movies Almost Died: Pan American World Airways Flight 115
2.?Melting Into a Threatening Sky: Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705
3.?"Unusual conditions and circumstances": The Investigation of Northwest Orient Flight 705
4.?"A turbulence problem"? Persistent Questions
5.?"It broke the sound barrier at least once": United Airlines Flight 746
6.?"The Nation's Most Progressive Airline": Eastern Air Lines
7.?A Strange, Weird Thing: Eastern Air Lines Flight 301
8.?Disappeared into the Overcast: Eastern Air Lines Flight 304
9.?Extraordinary Lives: Grant Newby, -Marie-Helene Lefaucheux and Kenneth Lee Spencer
10.?"Extreme disintegration of the aircraft structure": The Investigation of Eastern Air Lines Flight 304
Part II.?Falls City
11.?Dusting Off a Dusty Little Airline: Braniff International Airways
12.?Airstrip: "The End of the Plain Plane"
13.?Fastback Jet: The BAC One-11
14.?Happy Birthday! Bill Schock and That Night in August
15.?Milk Run: Braniff International Flight 250
16.?"One big, terrible nightmare": Flight 250 and Falls City
17.?"Ease power back": The Investigation of Braniff Flight 250
18.?Mr. Tornado: Dr. Ted Fujita and the Squall Line of August 6-7, 1966
19.?Knocked from the Sky: A -High-Intensity Force
Part III.?Postscript
20.?New Normals: The "Before" and "After" Times
Notes
Bibliography
Index