Investigating every type of calamity—including those caused by weather, mechanical failure, pilot error, inhospitable terrain, and hostile action—this is a jarring compendium of some of history?s most devastating aviation catastrophes. The first incident of sabotage involving a commercial jetliner is covered, as are the first crash of the jumbo jet era and such high-profile episodes as Pan American Flight 103 at Lockerbie and the Twin Towers tragedy of September 11. An overview of the history of air passenger travel over the decades is also provided, along with a timeline covering the rise of the threat of terrorism since the 1970s and the improvements rooted in the massively increased technological safeguards now implemented by airlines worldwide.