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The Crash of TWA Flight 260

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Description

This moment-by-moment account of a major airplane crash on a beautiful and treacherous mountainside puts the reader at the pilot's side, describing the flight, its catastrophic ending, and the aftermath. At 7:05 a.m. on February 19, 1955, TWA Flight 260 took off from the Albuquerque airport for a short flight to Santa Fe. To avoid flying over the Sandia Mountains, the plane's approved air route was a dogleg running north-northwest from Albuquerque, then east-northeast into Santa Fe. But at 7:08 a.m. Flight 260 was headed directly toward Sandia Ridge, almost entirely obscured by storm clouds. A local resident who saw Flight 260 overhead observed that if the plane was eastbound, it was too low; if it was northbound, it was off course. At 7:12 a.m. the plane's terrain-warning bell sounded its alarm. Both pilots saw the sheer west face of the Sandias just beyond the right wingtip––an appalling shock considering they should have been ten miles further west. Reacting instantly, they rolled the plane steeply to the left, pulled its nose up, and started to level the wings. It was their final act. Hidden by the storm, another cliffside lay directly ahead. When they struck it, they were still in a left bank, nose high. Charles Williams was one of the first men on the scene of this horrific crash. His unraveling of TWA Flight 260's final flight is a tale of days, minutes, and seconds spread out over the span of half a century. His book resolves some of the controversies surrounding the crash, including the Civil Aeronautics Board's over-swift determination that the pilots were at fault. ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS Charles M. Williams is emeritus professor of computer information systems at Georgia State University. He is married with three children and six grandchildren and resides in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also a nationally recognized competitive race walker and former runner. ACCLAIM "...a fascinating story..."-- Airways Magazine Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of New Mexico Press; 1st edition (August 16, 2010)


Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2010


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 5568 KB


Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • The story of Flight 260 is told with heart
Dr. Charles Williams' examination of the crash of flight 260 reflects much more than his diligent research into the cause of the crash. He employs a writing style that creates a suspense and drama that made me leap from chapter to chapter as no other book of this genre has done. In addition to his seamless narratives of essential technical details, he skillfully inserts an occasional "aside" to the reader-- an italicized phrase that momentarily stops the reader cold. The reader soon learns to recognize these asides as foreshadows crucial to the unfolding saga. But beyond the research and literary skill that make this such an adventure to read, it is the author's obvious compassion and respect for the victims and surviving family members that separates this work from other analyses of aircraft disasters. Dr. Williams brings to life the crew, the passengers, and their families through photographs and countless interviews with survivors, airline officials, and others. Undoubtedly, the most moving portion of the book is the reunion of family and search team members to dedicate the crash site in memory of the victims. Ironically, I read this book in two sittings-- at 30,000 ft. during a round-trip flight on a business trip. I glanced up occasionally, noting that my fellow passengers numbered more than ten-fold those who perished on Flight 260. Yet the relatively small number of souls on flight 260 does not diminish the importance of the conclusions resulting from the author's relentless pursuit of the facts. Dr. Williams' work is a must-read for anyone who has ever flown, questioned why unexpected events occur, and wondered about their impact on affected individuals. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2010 by Dan Strohl
    • I couldn't put this book down.
First off, I have always had an interest in this particular aircraft accident. My parents were stationed at Kirtland AFB at the time of the accident, and my father, who was a USAF Master Sargent, had vivid recall of it. After my father retired from the Military in 1965, we moved back to Albuquerque, Alameda, to be exact just before I entered 1st grade. My dad, who was a Private pilot and very active in General Aviation got me into the air as a teen and he owned a Piper Comanche which was based at the now gone Alameda airport. He told me about Flight 260 a few times while I was growing up and I remember always wanting to know more about the crash and to vist the wreckage site. I left ABQ for Dallas TX in 1984 and ended up relocating to the Atlanta area in 1989 (I work in the Aviation insurance business as an underwriter)and would travel back to ABQ in order to visit my family on a regular basis. That all said, my son, who has just finished middle school and is an active Boy Scout (Troop 142) and I decided to hike to the wreckage site via the Domingo Baca trail which we did last October (the Monday after the '09 Balloon Fiesta had ended). It was a pretty tough hike, however, the fall weather helped. After visiting and spending time at the site, I couldn't help but wanting to know more about the pilots, the other crew member and the passengers. I also wanted to know what happended on the search party side, how it was located, who was involved and what they experienced? This book coming out when it did, what can I say, the timing was perfect. I received it from Amazon yesterday and have about finished it. It is an excellent read, especially for me. It is very informative and respectful. I was able to hike to the wreckage site again last April (my brother in law who lives in ABQ tagged along). It is very peaceful in that Canyon, just sitting amid what wreckage still remains and listening to the wind. Thanks for a great book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2010 by McManaman
    • First-Hand Account of Crash Recovery
Dr. Williams' first-hand account of the crash and recovery of TWA Flight 260 outside of Albuquerque, N.M., in 1955, is a well-told tale. The CAB's incorrect conclusion as to the cause of the crash and the subsequent Air Line Pilots Association investigation and solution of the "probable cause" are described in an informative and interesting way with lots of interviews with the participants. The sections about the family members left behind after the deaths of their relatives on Flight 260 were moving, and the return trips to the crash site, and the personal effects found years later, added to the story. The photos presented were excellent and gave a sense of how difficult the terrain is. The content is certainly all there, but I only gave the book four stars for a number of mechanical problems that one would not expect in a University of New Mexico Press book, such as direct quotes that were not set-off properly, and, for example, the repeated incorrect use of "Federal Aeronautics Administration" in place of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (see pages 172-173). I was very pleased with this purchase and the book was a satisfying read. Four stars. Nicholas A. Veronico ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2013 by Nicholas A. Veronico
    • Interesting at times, but disappointing after all is said and done.
I bought this book for my husband, at his request, and I read it myself afterwards. I have lived in Albuquerque most of my life. When I was a teenager, one could ride the tram up the mountain and see the wreckage from the plane, sometimes shining brightly. Now, decades later, the plane has either fragmented further, into much smaller pieces, or the foliage has covered it, or both. It was initially fascinating to read about the passengers and the timeline, especially counting down the final minutes, but then -- the recovery dragged on and no conclusion as to causality was ever really proposed. One of the recovery team members was a friend of ours (before his death a few years ago), and that part was also interesting. I guess I expected more. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2012 by VSS

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