Aeroplane Disaster Books

The Impact They Can Have

Aeroplane disasters are quite rare in comparison to the volume of flight that take off around the world every day which is approximately one million flights daily. When they do happen, they are very big news in the media with updates usually on the hour which can last for days until we feel we know enough about the aeroplane disaster including the survival count. When news of the plane crashing into the first tower camera crews began to film the tower when word got around. People on the street were also filming the tower. Then, the second tower was violently struck by another plane. People worldwide could not believe what they were seeing. These planes were seen by many as human missiles. It was like watching a disaster movie on the big screen. Many would watch the clips over and over again zooming in to get a closer look. It seemed unreal. The real-life footage shocked the world, even more so when people in the building began falling at great heights many so their families could have a body to mourn, or maybe many could not see due to the smoke and fell out of the open windows which had been blown out by the blast of the crash.

Some people enjoy reading about morbid things as they find it brings them pleasure, like they do from watching a movie of disasters whether it be an earthquake or terrorist attack. They may enjoy reading all the gory details for curiosity knowing that they can immerse themselves in the disaster but be at a safe distance like they did watching the 911 attacks unfolding. They are looking at a safe distance and are not directly involved in this terrible event that they are about to read about. Reading broadens the mind and we can all learn something new. Other people want to read to examine what happened and what effect did it have on survivors, if any.

Those who flew for a foreign holiday never imagined that something could so horribly wrong until 911 happened where terrorists took over four planes and crashing them, two of them into the twin towers. 2,977 people lost their lives. There were many who never flew again and others took a long time to even contemplate flying again. Never before had so many people thought about flight safety and had to judge whether it was worth the risk. Time is a great healer and most people continue to fly with or without some anxiety.

The Positive Impact

Some readers may feel more confident with regards to their own safety after reading a book about aeroplane crashes. They may be more equipped mentally as they have now planned the journey better and organised in their minds the best seats to sit like close to the safety exits to be one of the first off, the plane in an emergency. Upon a plane crashing you have about 90 seconds to get off and move to a safe distance away from the plane before it explodes. They would have read that it is better to stay away and alert to increase your chance of survival. The reader will look more closely at the brace position so as to protect their body parts from an impact of crash and falling luggage from overhead compartments. You may have read that you must leave all baggage so to prevent stalling other passengers from getting off safely. Every second counts as some passengers are slower than others due to frailty or mobility issues. They have read about what are the best clothes to wear like rubber sole shoes, trousers and clothing made of natural fibres. These protect us in the event of fire and falling carry-on luggage in overhead compartments and other debris. By strictly following all safety rules they feel that they can enjoy the flight better knowing that they have done all they can to protect themselves.
Readers will become more assured that plane crashes rarely happen and they feel much safer than if they were in a car.
After reading survivor stories and how they got out alive will may make some readers have a plan to do the same and feel a sense of relief that they are one step ahead of other passengers making them feel more empowered to act in an emergency.
With each past aeroplane disaster many lessons have been learned and aerodynamics are at the highest level ensuring the plane is safe to fly giving us added assurance.
The plane disaster books can be very educational thus broadened our knowledge on aviation. By reading about why accidents happen and the investigations that follow we are broadening our minds and gaining a new interest whether that be on the forensic side, the investigate side or the journalistic guide.

The Negative Impact

Media bombardment on aeroplane safety does make many people interested in flight safety and want to read more about plane crashes. Lots of books have been written about aeroplane disasters and read since 911. But what impact can reading these books have on our mental health?

These books can go into much detail about how the victims were found and detail severe burns and bodies scattered over a wide area, parts of those bodies may be stripped of flesh by trees and the impact of the crash. Reading this may scare some to never fly again which can limit your travels.
The black box contains the pilots distress calls and when they know that there is no chance of preventing what is about to happen, they often do not let the passengers know so their last moments are not one of sheer panic and distress. For families of those perished in plane crashes this can be a blessing. For those families on the Germanwings plane that crashed over the French alps discovered that their family members were screaming when the one of the pilots was locked out by of the cockpit by the co-pilot after he left the cockpit to use the toilet. The pilot tried to smash down the door using an emergency axe to gain access. The co-pilot intentionally crashed the plane killing all 150 people onboard. The pilot’s last words are usually expletives. There will be some readers who would not fly again as they would not be told if there was something wrong and feel that they would want to know so they can call a family member to say goodbye and tell them that they love them.
Readers of flight disasters may have their own fears about flying and after reading the book on aeroplane disasters this fear will undoubtedly be heightened and may last for quite a while. If the reader had previously booked a flight and had not travelled yet then that fear may last right up to and on the flight. The holiday may be ruined as the fear of flying back home again would spoil the enjoyment. The reader can overestimate their chances of something that we have read in the book happen to them and we can spend too much time in an anxious state trying to work out our best chances of survival. If they believe their chance to be slim, they feel anxious about their own death which can cause the reader to feel depressed and have morbid thoughts. For example, we may read our chances are higher if we sit in the middle of the plane on the right-hand side and book all our next flights in certain seat numbers. If those seat numbers are not available and let’s say only the left-hand side is available the reader may spend the whole time on the flight in a state of anxiety believing that they have greatly reduced their chances of survival. If they are travelling with their children, they may feel they are exposing them to a higher risk and the guilt could cause them a lot of stress.
The loss of self-control we may feel after reading some of the details in the book can result in a lot of psychological stress and prevent a person from ever flying again or enjoying the flight. Chances of surviving a plane crash used to be quite grim but, nowadays people do survive due to technological advances. Some readers will read about the Tenerife crash where both planes were on the ground at the time of the crash and resulted in many deaths and start to wonder if this can happen on the ground, what would their chance of survival be if the planes crashed in mid-air! In 1977 two planes collided on a foggy morning at Tenerife airport, the KLM flight was about to take off and a Pan Am flight was taxiing to take off hitting the fuselage causing both planes to explode killing 583 passengers; all of the passengers and crew on the KLM flight and 355 on the Pan Am flight. Only 61 passengers survived including the pilot.
Not being able to escape is a reader’s biggest worry when reading real-life details of people trapped in a plane that was on fire on the ground. If the reader faced turbulence on a plane in the future, they may remember something from the book and this could trigger them to panic much more than they normally would and make them feel more helpless deepening that anxiety and stress levels.
Many of are aware of flight safety through the laminated safety sheets and the air stewardess giving us a quick demo on where the emergency doors are and about the low lighting on the floor, the emergency exit signs and how to put our life-jacket on and blow into the little whistle so we can be heard if we land on water. But when reading survival stories and the way people panicked and jump over one another to escape first this can cause anxiety to the reader.
Reading about a flight taking off and setting fire whilst flying low before crashing into a hotel like the Concorde flight 4590 can make a reader’s anxiety levels rise dramatically. With no escape, the reader may think about if that happened on their next flight how would they feel with intense heat and smoke building up and nowhere to run. To look out of the window and see their plane on fire may be too frightening for the reader to even contemplate ever going on a flight again.
Crash landing has had a devastating effect on some survivors both physically and mentally and reading about these may cause the reader a lot of stress while empathising with the survivor. The reader may ask themselves if they could cope with all the disability and trauma and remain anxious for the rest of their lives about flying. Not only for themselves but for loved ones flying too.
Some readers may not like to go into deep water and the thought of crash landing on water may terrify them as it would most people. They may ask is it all worth it and decide it isn’t.
Whilst reading aeroplane disaster books often horrendous images are shown of the aftermath including the crash scene and those of the victims. Seeing these images can bring out the reader’s vulnerabilities and make them feel even more powerless and afraid of flying. Graphic images of burned body parts can make the reader feel very sad and depressed and remain in that state for some time thus having a deep impact on their quality of life.
Flight MH370 disappeared off radar and was believed to have crashed into the sea. The bodies of the passengers and crew have never been recovered. This can cause anxiety to some readers as families want some kind of body to grieve over albeit one in several pieces is better than none at all. The heightened stress this can cause a reader who will think about the family if they were to travel may cause anxiety for the reader whose say, son or daughter is about to travel.

Long-Term Effects

There is no doubt that after reading book on aeroplane disasters the effect that they will have on you will likely to stay in your head for some time. Certain elements will cause you to think long and hard about various factors and future plane journeys will be examined more carefully. Whether it be that you plan your future flights with more precision or that you think about what you have read when you’re sitting on the plane and the door closes and you hear the plane’s engines start. You may look at other passengers to determine if they are potential terrorists. Your mind may go into overthinking before and during the flight resulting in stress and anxiety. Some readers will be so fascinated by and intrigued by what they have read that they will be thirsty to read more. Here are ten aeroplane disaster books for you to read should you wish to learn more.

10 Aeroplane Disaster Books

Black Box by Nicholas Faith 1996 Chanel 4 Books. An in-depth study of the causes of aeroplane crashes detailing the work of the air crash investigators. A very informative and detailed book.
The Mammoth Book of Air Disasters and Near Misses by Paul Simpson 2014 Robinson. Details of many flights of air disasters.
The Forensics of Aviation Disasters by George Bibel & Captain Robert Hedges 2018 John Hopkins University Press. Details of the most dramatic plane crashes and little-known ones and examines the cause of them.
Disaster in the Air by Andrew Brookes 1992. Ian Allan Publishing. A compilation of air accidents and near misses.
Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 by Mitchell Zuckoff 2021 HarperCollins. Details the events, the victims and their families of the 911 terrorist attack on the twin towers.
Dealing With Disaster in Japan: Responses to the Flight JL123 Crash by Christopher Hood 2011 Routledge. The story of the plane that crashed into the mountain resulting in 521 deaths and 4 survivors and how the Japanese people coped with the aftershocks.
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read 1974 Lippincott. A detailed account of the plane crash and the victims struggles to stay alive on the Andes mountain.
The Vanishing Flight of MH370: The True Story of the Hunt for The Missing Malaysian Plane by Richard Quest 2016 Berkley. The story follows the disappearance of the plane and the hunt to find it.
Collision on Tenerife by Jon Ziomeck 2018 Post Hill Press. The story of the accident with accounts from the surviving passengers and crew.
Last Days of the Concorde: The Crash Of Flight 4590 and the End of Supersonic Passenger Travel by Samme Chittum 2018 Penguin.