The document summarizes a new book about airplane crashes written by Professor George Bibel. The book uses real stories of crashes to teach physics concepts and the crash investigation process. It explains that crashes are often survivable when passengers follow crew instructions, and describes several crash case studies where the vast majority of passengers survived, such as United Airlines Flight 232 and Aloha Airlines Flight 243, despite the planes being destroyed.
2. "A good book that explains how and why airplanes can crash … followed by explanations of the science that governed those incidents. The stories read a bit like mysteries… I found myself reading faster, so that I could find out why things happened the way they did. Bibel clearly has a love for all things aeronautical and that shines through on every page.“ — John M. Henshaw, author of Does Measurement Measure Up?
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8. Computer simulation is used to make planes more crashworthy … and explains the science of safety
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13. DC-10 has 3 engines Tail engine bursts… All hydraulics are lost (flaps, rudder, ailerons, etc.). Pilots steer by altering engine thrust. United Airlines Flight 232 7-19-89
14. Reconstructed compressor fan rotor disk Plane breaks into 3 parts, lands upside down. 74% of 296 survive impact, fire kills additional 12% (111 total fatalities)
15. Explosive decompression … One flight attendant lost, all passengers have seatbelts on and survive with injuries. (Popped ear drums, concussion, broken arm, etc.) Aloha Airlines Flight 243 4-28-88
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17. Pilot partially sucked out of left windscreen Passenger sucked out of this window British Airways Flight 5390 6-10-90 National Airlines Flight 27 11-3-73
18. Everyone safely evacuates in under 2 minutes despite half the exits blocked by fire Air France Flight 358 8-2-05
19. The most studied, instrumented, and photographed crash in history FAA/NASA Test Crash 12-1-84