Aviation Disasters

The Korean airliner took off from Alaska innocently enough, but a series of human errors caused it to veer into Russian airspace. Russian military intelligence trailed the plane for hours before shooting it down. The Last Flight of 007 is part of the Disaster non-fiction series that will engage listeners of all ages, including English Language Learners. These moments in history recall the death and destruction caused by both natural and manmade disasters around the world.

Former US Navy Top Gun Kevin Sullivan, captain of the ill-fated Perth-bound QF72, breaks his silence to give a gripping account of how a rogue computer went 'psycho', causing the Airbus A330 he was piloting to pitch down, nose first, towards the Indian Ocean—twice. Unlike other well-publicised near air disasters, the plane carrying 315 passengers and crew was out of control, a g-force of –8 propelling anyone and anything untethered through the cabin roof. It took the extraordinary skill and presence of mind of the veteran Top Gun to wrestle back control of the plane.