On a Wing and a Prayer: Interviews with Airline Disaster Survivors

by Malcolm MacPherson

Book Overview

"I told myself, 'Don't panic You can get out ' . . . I believed that my positive thinking helped me to survive. I did not panic. I did not want to die, and I intended to do everything necessary to prevent it. I decided that if I was going to die, then it was God's will."

Female, age forty-four, seat 19D

Charlotte, North Carolina, July 2, 1994, USAir flight 1016

From the editor of the cult classic The Black Box, here are...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060959789
• ISBN13: 9780060959784
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Real Words Real Drama

I am a sucker for these type of books. For some reason I can not get enough of them. There is so much drama and excitement, almost regardless of how the author writes just because of the situation that is being described. For these reasons I thought this book was going to be a can't miss hit in my household. It got close. The author took a number of recent airline crashes and detailed out the NTSB interviews with the crash survivors. It makes for some gripping reading, if nothing more then you can picture yourself in the same situation because the descriptions these people give are just what the average person would say. The author starts each section out with a brief description of the incident that gives the reader a little too few details. I understand that the author was having the book focus on the words of the survivors, but I would have liked more then one paragraph of the crash details. Most times the author did not even tell the reader the cause of the crash. He did, however, always include the death toll of each event. What was interesting was the range of accidents, some were the much covered accidents where multiples of people died and some were little know events. I liked reading more about the smaller events that have lower casualties, but just as much drama. I also appreciated the authors editing of the comments keeping them flowing in a chronological order. Overall the book was good. It was full of excitement if for no other reason then due to the events that were being covered. I did want more crash details if for no other reason to understand the crash its self a little better. This might just be me being too picky, but I enjoy understanding why the crash took place, not just the outcome. If you enjoy books that cover this topic then I would suggest you pick up a copy of this book.

Must read for the interested layperson

This book presents a deviation from the typical aircraft investigation set, with its dramatic telling from the point of view, through witness statements, of individuals involved in accidents. Hearing their sometimes stark retelling, as well as information from dead-heading crew who *know* what those sounds really are, presents an unusual and compelling read. Macpherson does not dominate the text with commentary and instead lets those with first-hand knowledge tell the story. Very well done and very readable, and will stick with you.

Detailed Information-not for all readers

I bought On a Wing and a Prayer because I really felt like reading about airline disasters. I bought it on a whim, partly because the cover looked interesting and partly because I am interested in aviation. I found the book interesting, but it was alittle too detailed for my liking.On a Wing and a Prayer not only includes cockpit voice transcripts and alerts, but passenger analysis. In other words, you don't just get the story about the accident, but all the in-depth coverage as well.Overall, I really didn't like the book because it was too detailed. I would not recommend this book to anyone that just wants to read about disasters. However, if you really like books that break down things step by step, On a Wing and a Prayer is the book for you.

Excellent Reading for Anyone who travels regularly

Mr. Macpherson is to be commended for putting together such an excellent book. I read it all in one day and I just couldn't put it down. Once you read through these stories you realize how very courageous people can be. I was most touched by the gentleman named "Gary" who was a passenger on Northwest Flight 1469. I felt so for this horribly burnt man and have not been able to get him out of my mind. My sincerest hope is that recovered from the accident. I also had my eyes opened in reading the words from the Flight Attendants and Cabin Crew - In an emergency we are all simply human beings and we all have the same fears and worries about an aircraft accident. Each and every accident story leaves the reader with a profound understanding of what it is like to live through an aircraft accident. I will be changed forever and will never board an aircraft again without paying very close attention to the safety briefing.

Absolutely fascinating.

I picked this book up on a whim and read it cover to cover in one sitting. It includes CVR transcriptions interlaced with passengers' and flight crews' recollections, and occasionally eyewitness accounts. There's heroism, bad judgement, fear, and bravery; there's humanity. In the introduction MacPherson makes the statement that "'The most likely outcome for the serious surviveable accidents is that most occupants survive,' according to the NTSB's March 2001 report." There is absolutely no editorializing, and no author comment; the transcripts are directly from the CVR and tower transmissions, and the survivors' accounts are from the NTSB interviews after the accidents. The editor stays away from the stories almost to the point where I wished he would step in and tell what happened, but the reports say a lot in between the lines. It's a compendium of how ordinary air travelers live through an extraordinary event.