Aircraft Safety: Accident Investigations, Analyses & Applications (Paperback)

by Shari Stamford Krause (Author) "The principles of crew resource management (CRM) are based on one simple premise: the effective management of a pilot's available resources..." (more)
Key Phrases: flightcrew performance, north controller, one hull loss, Safety Board, New York, San Diego (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...a comprehensive look at why serious aviation accidents and events occur...offers suggestions to avoid future calamities. -- The ISSA Journal, September 2003 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Close examinations of more than 40 airline and general aviation accidents provide life-saving lessons for pilots and other professionals concerned with aircraft safety.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 379 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070360278
• ISBN-13: 978-0070360273
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,172,481 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good General Accident Analysis, January 5, 2004

By	Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Aircraft Safety : Accident Investigations, Analyses, & Applications, Second Edition (Paperback)

I am not sure what Shari Krause's Ph. D. is in, but I would guess psychology given the human factors emphasis evident in this book. Indeed, human factors play an overriding factor in many if not most accidents and she gives good and bad examples of Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) and Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) in the numerous case studies in this book.

The book is designed in broad categories of accident types (for example, 'Weather' and 'Mid-Air Collisions'), which are further broken down by specific hazard type ('Thunderstorms' and 'Turbulence', for instance) and illustrated with case studies largely taken from NTSB reports. Most of the case studies are excellent, and her analysis is generally quite good, although her specific systems knowledge is occasionally not up to speed (for instance, in the L-1011 autoflight discussion of EAL 401, and in the hydraulic system discussion in the 737 rudder hardover accidents). The minor systems errors and misconceptions found in these sections would be virtually undetectable to someone who had not flown the specific aircraft in question, and at any rate are mere annoyances at worst. The overall level of analysis is good enough that trivial details don't take away from the greater points she makes.

Overall, the book is a quite comprehensive text and should be read by pilots and aviation personnel of all experience levels. Her discussions of weather accidents and runway incursions were superlative. Particularly well covered were icing and microburst accidents, though I think she went a little far in her discussion of 'giant anteater clouds'.

Distractions for me were what I thought were a relatively large number of typographical errors, including the very annoying, often repeated (likely spell check induced) "HIS" instead of "HSI". The systems quibbles were minor as well, but nonetheless a distraction in some instances. The effort to make the book 'current' by including the Air France Concorde accident was a mistake. The summary presented was evidently taken from a sole internet source and completely devoid of useful information.

On balance, I think this is an excellent effort, and should be read by all pilots, the earlier in their career, the better.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, December 7, 1998

By A Customer

This book by Dr. Krause is a must-read for safety-oriented aviators from beginners to professionals. This book provides accounts of some of the more well-known aircraft mishaps and dissects each one for causes and chains of events. It also provides the reader an education on various human-factor and weather-related issues. It also covers human-performance issues involving more recent technological developments like EFIS cockpits and TCAS, without neglecting basic hands-on skills and flight discipline.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book is wonderful., November 26, 1997

By	[e-mail] (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

I read the hardcover version of this book and it is wonderful. Shari Stamford Krause is informative and descriptive down to the last datail that you would not get from the FAA or NTSB. She defines the circumstances in a way that anyone, whether a seasoned pilot or just an avid plane lover, can understand. Everyone should read this.