Global Aviator December/January 2017/18 / Vol. 9 / No. 12 73
Dr RG Nel
Hazyview Junction Mall C/o R40 & R536 Portia Shabangu Rd, Hazyview
Tel: 013 737 8779 Fax 013 737 8866 Cel: 082 550 8975MB.Ch.B (stell) Senior Aviation Medical Examiner
with CAA (MS080) Senior Aviation Medical
Examiner with FAA (03304)- Resting and Effort ECG
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in 1979 when American Airlines 191
crashed into a field at Los Angeles
airport shortly after take off. 271
passengers and crew members died
as well as two people on the ground.
This accident was caused by the left
wing engine falling off during take off.
Chittum also looks at the United
DC10 crash landing at the Sioux
City airport in 1989, caused by the
"catastrophic failure of the tail engine".
Although many passengers made
it out of the plane alive, 111 died.
Despite the problems surrounding
the DC10, an aircraft she described as
"a plane put together by committee"
in an era of lax corporate compliance
with aviation rules and regulations, the
DC10 continue to transport passengers
until 2014. It is now flying only cargo. •Samme Chittum is a journalist and
Pulitzer Travelling Fellowship recipient.
The book is well written and tells
a tale of an aircraft manufacturer more
interest in profit than the safety of
passengers in its aircraft, and of an aviation
authority led by a politically appointed
head also interested only in profits.
‘The Flight 981 Disaster: Tragedy,
Treachery, and the Pursuit of Truth’ not only
takes a look at the technical problems of
the aircraft but also at the cover ups that
eventually led to the death of 436 people.
This is a book that is not easy to put
down once opened and makes the reader
pause for thought as to just what goes
on in the world of airline manufacturers.
One word of advise – do not
read this before taking a flight or on
a plane. The mind is very open to
suggestion and this book will have you
listening to every creak and sound and
wide awake until your destination.About the author