In one of the worst aviation disasters ever, a L-1011 with a fire on board was able to land safely back at the airport; however, no exit was opened for twenty-three minutes and 301 people inside died. Why? Investigations into the causes of airplane accidents have for decades focused on what happened and who did it-very rarely on why. It"s the question "why" that Beaty addresses here. Focusing on large commercial-aircraft accidents, he looks at human error precipitated by individuals as well as management and government. No other book on the subject speaks with such clarity to both the expert and the layman. David Beaty is a former Royal Air Force pilot, commercial airline pilot, and psychologist.