Plane Crash, an unprecedented collaboration between mechanical engineering professor George Bibel and airline Captain Robert Hedges, shares the riveting stories of both high-profile and lesser-known airplane accidents. Drawing on accident reports, eyewitness accounts, and simple diagrams to explain what went wrong in the plane and in the cockpit. Hedges provides invaluable insight into aviation human factors, while Bibel analyzes mechanical failures. No prior scientific knowledge is needed to understand the principles and procedures this book describes, only an interest in the view from what Captain Hedges describes as 'the best seat in the house."--book jacket.