In the wake of the TWA 800 air crashdisaster, thriller writer James Thayer tantalizes us with a technophile’s"whodunit." The story opens with a "former" National TransportationSafety Board (NTSB) investigator wandering through the wreckage of an airline crash sitein the Pacific Northwest. We see the carnage through the eyes of an accidentreconstruction expert. Bodies torn asunder give up clues how the breakup occurred.Airframe debris tangled like spaghetti reveals possible causes of the crash.
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Former investigator Joe Durant quit the NTSB because of crash gore depression. Hisformer colleagues want him back because of his skill at determining "probablecauses." He must now solve one last case — his wife was one of the victims in thecrash.
The kicker is that NTSB investigator Durant must act as liaison with the FBI, whichwants to control the investigation. Durant, a former Naval Flight Officer with an advanceddegree in aeronautical engineering, is paired up with Linda Dillon, a curvaceous FBIagent, whose "cop" skills complement Durant’s techno-intellectual prowess.Both are having marital difficulties and although they serve as buffers for rival federalagencies, they soon develop mutual respect and perhaps more.
Best Accident Investigation Novel Yet?
Seattle lawyer James Stewart Thayer’s previous novels have been highly successfulbecause of his ability to write fact-packed suspenseful stories that capture the technicallore of the hero’s trade.
Thayer’s "White Star," a masterful account of the trade craft and psycheof a former military sniper, rivalled Stephen Hunter’s "Point of Impact"and "Master Sniper" as one of the most factually satisfying "one shot, onekill" adventures ever written. In "Terminal Event" Thayer has shown thesame mastery, with a forensic thriller delving into the investigative process that followsan airline disaster.
"Terminal Event" is not the first airplane accident investigation novel."Airframe" by scientific thriller writer Michael Crichton of "ER"fame, "Scatterpath" by Maralys Wills and "Human Error" by Tom Caseyare all good. Thayer’s book is better. The combination of believable characters,unparalled accuracy, a tight plot, plenty of action and a surprise ending enables"Terminal Event" to out climb "Airframe," the previous best seller inthis field.
Plot Parallels TWA 800
Inspector Durant quickly develops a theory to explain the cause of the crash: Cracks inthe insulation of wiring bundles leading to fuel measuring gauges in the fuel tanks couldcause a spark to ignite fuel vapor. The FBI has a different theory based on evidencesuggesting sabotage. A letter has been received that says "another plane will comedown in 10 days." The FBI treats it as a serious threat because the letter contains aclue implying that only the sender knows the cause of the crash. The pressure is on forthe best and brightest in the FBI, but another development suggests terrorism.
CIA intelligence agents and operatives from other countries are brought in because itis discovered that Saudi Arabian intelligence officers were travelling under concealedidentities on the flight. A Hezballah terrorist with a holy obsession to kill the Saudiofficers might have planted a bomb.
In TWA 800 we had a missile shoot-down theory publicized by a Frenchman named"Pierre." In "Terminal Event" the missile theory comes from a scruffypoacher, who convinces the country’s foremost lie detector specialist that he hasobserved a missile strike the airplane.
The author preserves the French connection by making the airliner French-built insteadof a Boeing Seattle-made product. Thayer, a Seattle lawyer, portrays the monopolisticBoeing as an altruistic company that offers its resources to the NTSB to aid with theinvestigation into the crash of the French-made airliner.
FBI Follies
The FBI’s involvement in the investigation provides the most amusing charactersand action sequences. Somehow the FBI decides that the threatening letter must come from agroup of anti-government Idaho militia types. Because Durant serves as a liaison, he getsto accompany wonder woman Dillon in the field investigating the "backwoodsboys." These guys are so "bad" that they stuff cue balls in the mouths of"Hells Angels" and booby trap their own homes to protect against governmentsnooping. After an FBI undercover agent has his head blown off while trespassing in theirlair without a warrant, investigator Dillon resolves to bring them to justice. When theyare finally cornered and the FBI begins its standard negotiating process, she snatches thebull horn from her boss and declares that the "backwoods boys" have five minutesto come out with their hands up or else! The ensuing scene plays out the fantasy of everycop in America.
While Inspector Dillon is busting the bad guys, NTSB investigator Durant is embarrassedin front of all the government agencies. The president of the French manufacturingcompany, a lawyer and a fuel expert prove that a spark from the wiring in the fuel tankcould NOT have caused the explosion.
The only way Inspector Durant can salvage his tarnished reputation is to find anoverlooked piece of evidence that sheds light on the true perpetrator of this disaster. Adramatic but somewhat unpalatable conclusion caps off this tightly written forensicthriller with the right measure of suspense, humor and technical wizardry.
A Fine Read
Anyone who is interested in aviation, forensic investigation or just a good actionmystery will enjoy this novel. The characters are believable, and the author’sdescriptions of people and procedures reveal a keen insight into the aircraft accidentinvestigative process. We get to participate in cockpit voice recorder playback analysis.We learn about microscopic analysis by a metallurgist to detect explosion-related evidenceof "cratering" found in metal components. Thayer also shows us how the NTSB usesthe latest computer-animated reconstructive techniques.
Because the author uses the TWA 800 disaster as background for his plot, much of hisstory echoes contemporary news. Investigator Durant’s theory comes right out of theMay 1998 Federal Aviation Administration Order requiring the inspection of Boeing 737s forthe possibility of frayed fuel system wiring. In May 1999, the Federal AviationAdministration imposed a similar requirement on the operators of more than 1,000 Boeing727s. Boeing is currently being sued by plaintiffs from the TWA 800 disaster on a similartheory.
As long as you are not a card-carrying member of the "Fear of FlyingFraternity," I recommend that you pick up a copy of "Terminal Event" foryour next flight. You can enjoy the trip before your next "on- time arrival" —just don’t tell the passenger next to you what it’s about.
NOTE: The issues discussed in this article do not constitute legal advice. My objective is to alert you to some common issues so that you can avoid or minimize legal trouble. Anyone with an aviation law problem should be guided by the advice of his or her lawyer, under applicable federal and state laws, after a full and confidential disclosure of all relevant facts.
