Southern Storm: The Tragedy of Flight 242 (Air Disasters) Hardcover – April 3, 2018

This review is for the Audio CD version of the book. Although the author is a woman, a man was chosen to narrate the audiobook. This was a little surprising, however the narrator does a credible job with only a few spots where he gives a wrong emphasis and one time where he says the wrong word ("desire" instead of "disaster" - this may be a typo in the text but I haven't seen it yet). For me, this audiobook is effective at having a higher emotional impact than simply reading. There is a lot of emotion in this story and since most people speak only half as fast as they read, there is more time to dwell upon the content as you listen to it.The book itself is a companion to the TV documentary by the same name. The documentary is part of a series on air disasters that was originally owned by National Geographic and later bought by the Smithsonian Channel. The book author has followed the themes of the Southern Storm episode and expanded further through additional interviews and a visit to the crash site. As a survivor, I was interviewed for the original episode and acted as an unofficial technical adviser. (Amusingly, the shortened version of the episode gave my segment the scissors!)Ms. Chittum followed up with me and took pains to get a clearer understanding of what happened on Flight 242 by seeking out other survivors and technical experts. Although the format of a companion book doesn't allow for exhaustive detail on every aspect and the nature of the accident as a chain of events with critical gaps in information doesn't allow for anyone to claim the last word, she has done a nice job of providing a long overdue popular counterpart to the "technicalese" of the NTSB report.It is very unfortunate that one of the main "characters" of the 242 story, Sadie Burkhalter Hurst, passed away only a few months before its publication. I consider the book to be a fitting tribute to the memory of the role she played on April 4, 1977 and afterwards. Southern Storm: The Tragedy of Flight 242 (Air Disasters)

The piece of history known as Southern Airways Flight 242 is well told by author Samme Chittum. The writer takes the story through multiple facets of the crash, from weather to human error to aviation mechanics, and on to the individual lives of those affiliated to the crash of Southern 242, and on to the community of New Hope, GA, where a small group of people still provide healing and comfort for all involved. This well written book touches the heart and opens the eye to the difference caring people can make in, and after, a tragedy. A must-read, the book touches on the fragility of life and follows with strength of the human spirit, and a hope for overcoming and healing. It is more than just another aviation book, it is also an edifying book on the state of humanity as it was in 1977 and how a particular group of people still carry that banner today. The author is to be commended for her skill in weaving together all the events before, during, and after the crash of Southern Airways Flight 242 while maintaining the respect and dignity of survivors, victims, and their families. This book touches in different ways; give it a chance to touch you, too. Great job, Ms. Chittum.

This is a dramatic and well told tale of an airplane crash. It is notable for the sensitive portrayal of all the people impacted by this tragedy and the clear explanation of what went wrong and how the knowledge gained changed aviation.

This book is personal to me having bben in the vicinity of that fateful day.

True account of a disastrous plane crash with heroic crew and survivors.

The author's ability to write a detailed heart-filled as well as technical account of something that happened nearly 50 years is incredible. It is almost as if these are interviews in the weeks following this tragedy. Waiting to read more from Ms. Chittum.

Factual and accurate while providing a personal perspective to this tragedy.

I read another book in this series by this same author and found that book fascinating and interesting. I grabbed this book and thought I would learn about the engineering mistakes that led to an air crash that ultimately made aviation safer.Unfortunately, the events of this Southern Air regional flight on a DC-9 was really what I didn't want to read much about. What would be of little interest? A horrible experience in which survivors discuss in excruciating detail what happened when others around them died in a terrible crash. I don't have a morbid interest in this, thee events are terrifying and particularly poignant. I don't find any real entertainment value in reading about the terrible human toll. I want to read about mistakes related to design, engineering and pilot error and this book provided so little of this interesting story.So, this was a disappointing read for me. If you are hoping to read about engineering failures that led to disaster, this volume isn't it. I hope the author's other effort on the Concorde is more like the previous volume about the Turkish Airlines disaster.

Ms. Chittum has written a detailed account of the tragedy of flight 242 - I was completely absorbed in reading the personal stories of people involved in this disaster. There are some technical details about the DC9 but those details are not overwhelming to the lay reader. She treated all the people on board the aircraft and in the small community of New Hope with dignity and respect. Her writing style made it easy for me to read and absorb the details - I couldn't put the book down - wanting to know more. I have also read her account of the Flight 981 disaster and the last flight of the Concorde. There are also Mayday TV episodes dealing with these same disasters - I highly recommend this book and hopefully Ms. Chittum will write similar books in the future about other aviation tragedies.

Suggest waiting until the corrected version comes out.