Aviation Crash Course

Causes, Litigation and Lessons for Prevention in Pivotal Accidents by James Aylward
Coming from McFarland Publishing

Coming from McFarland Publishing in early 2027, from the Wright Flyer in 1908 to the mid-air collision over the Potomac in 2025, aviation has learned some of its hardest lessons at a very high cost. In Crash Course, former fighter pilot, longtime airline captain, and aviation attorney James Aylward examines thirty-three pivotal accidents that shaped modern flight. Drawing on decades of experience flying everything from high-performance jets to heavy transports to rag-wing taildraggers, he shows what actually failed—machines, people, and organizations—and how those failures drove the rules, training, and legal standards we fly under today. Written for pilots who want practical lessons, lawyers who need real cockpit context, and enthusiasts who prefer clear analysis over drama, this book is serious about the cost of getting it wrong while keeping a pilot’s perspective.“Aviation is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.” Those words remain as true today as when they were first written. These pages chronicle some of the most significant examples of those failures in the hope of preventing future tragedy.