I received [b: Final Approach|875100|Final Approach|John J. Nance|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320558131s/875100.jpg|254920] by [a: John J. Nance|24794|John J. Nance|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] from NetGalley. This is in exchange for an honest review. I got an Amazon.Kindle e-book version.

It took me a few pages to buckle my seat belts, and relax into the first class seat. Once I strapped in, the experience was exciting, tragic and meaningful. It is a trip that I will not soon forget.

This novel begins with excitement, groans in horror, and keeps the reader breathless. It is pure artful writing that keeps suspense growing. The solutions to the mysteries remain elusive, and the subplots gain substance. [a: John J. Nance|24794|John J. Nance|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] does this.

This is not just an airplane story. It covers current events and the instability of our Nation.

Corruption in government and good guys hide in fiction, but truths are revealed.

[b: Final Approach|875100|Final Approach|John J. Nance|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320558131s/875100.jpg|254920] brought up memories of "Airport" by Arthur Hailey that I read in 1970. There is the manliness of Clive Cussler and Lee Child books.

"Final Approach" does not leave women out. There are strong female protagonists at work in this novel.

If you are looking for a gift for your dad, brother or other aeronautic fan, I recommend this book. I will request our library to carry it.

I see a movie at the end of the runway. ( )

Political Mystery) Usually the characters in a John Nance book at in flight and in peril. This story holds the same amount of tension and suspense but the crash happens at the beginning of the book. Two major airliners crash into each other on the ground. The how and why make one of the most interesting political mysteries I've ever read. ( )

Not a bad story about a crash of two planes, one inbound, one waiting to take off. The politics and controversy between government and private business. A compelling story of how investigations happen and the tragedy of not following the rules. ( )

Originally published in 1990, Final Approach is a thriller about an A360 Airbus flying into a 737 filled with passengers waiting for takeoff. The protagonist is Joe Wallingford, an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Wallingford is assigned as chief investigator when a horrific crash occurs between two jumbo passenger jets at Kansas City International Airport, leaving almost everyone aboard both planes dead. Survivors include each pilot.

The first third of the book of the riveting. Nance’s description of the crash itself covers a few pages and is absolutely stunning in detailing the horror of the accident and its aftermath. It is Wallingford and his team’s responsibility to determine what went wrong. Immediately, things don’t seem to add up.

Because the story is set in 1990, the characters do not have instant communication as we do now. It was actually fun to turn back the clock and go back to the days when mobile phones were huge and the car rental companies who had them available with certain models of vehicles were few in number. Pay phones were still everywhere. The fastest way to communicate anything written on paper was via FedEx overnight delivery. At that time, FedEx seemed like the Jetsons’ era.

But, do not think the story slows down without cell phones, instant messenger and e-mail. There are multiple storylines going here, as Wallingford and his people track down various theories and some tips on what happened. Because a congressman was on board one of the planes, they have to rule political assassination. There was an Air Force jet with a prototype of a self-contained radar unit onboard which took off just yards from the 737 before it was impacted by the A320. Did the radar emit magnetic waves that interfered with the landing gear on the A320? Was it pilot error?

Nance addresses the tragedy from all perspectives – professionally, personally and politically. NTSB, FAA, the airlines and airplane manufacturers all have professional stakes in the investigation and its outcomes. In addition to the congressman onboard who was killed, there was a US senator on the ground at the airport, inside what was supposed to be a secured area, who hightailed it out of there after both planes burst into flames. Was he there to make sure the hit on the congressman was carried out? Who was he?

Although Nance keeps the pace of the novel moving along, he could have tightened the story up. The reader could do without the two clandestine love affairs. They really add nothing to the story, particularly since each female half of the affair is a perfect woman even through the males involved are kind of schleppy. Why do male authors go so overboard in the perfection of the females they give their protagonists? The other threads that we follow through the book were interesting but even some of them could have been shortened and tightened a bit.

Still, a good read. Lots of technical stuff about jets and how accident investigations are carried out. I found it interesting and I don’t even fly very much. ( )

Wow, does this book take you for a ride! I used to be a very frequent flyer and always loved it. But I have to say that what this book reveals is pretty scary.

An Airbus A320 crashes into a 737 one night in Kansas City MO. An NTSB team, led by Joe Wallingford, is dispatched to investigate. Then the circus begins. Numerous government bodies come out of the woodworks trying to interfere with the investigation. They all seem to have some shady dealings they do not want exposed. There could be so many causes for the accident – equipment failure, air traffic control error, pilot error. There is even suspicion of sabotage. Just when it seems they have a grasp on what the cause was, something else creeps into the picture. This book kept me guessing all the way to the end. It is suspenseful yet realistic.

Many thanks to Paola Crespo at Open Road Media for sending me an advance copy to review. ( )