RICHARD DE CRESPIGNY'S QF32 MEDIA RELEASE

The captain’s extraordinary account of how one of the world’s worst air disasters was averted

‘A gripping tale of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. In QF32, Richard de Crespigny recounts a hair-raising story of responsibility and complexity as he brings 469 passengers and crew safely to Earth after encountering one of the most catastrophic in-flight disasters in aviation history.’
NEIL ARMSTRONG

‘A compelling journey of leadership and resilience. I’ve been in the captain’s seat myself when things go catastrophically wrong, and Richard’s description of a well-trained crew acting to save lives gives a unique insight into how experience and judgement can avert a disaster. Anyone who has flown, or is about to fly should read this remarkable story.’
CHELSEY ‘SULLY’ SULLENBERGER, Captain of US Airways Flight 1549 that successfully ditched in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009

On 4 November 2010, what began as a routine long-haul flight from Singapore to Sydney came within a knife edge of being one of the world’s worst air disasters. Four minutes out of Singapore’s Changi Airport, and at an altitude of 7000 feet, a sudden explosion shattered Engine 2 of Qantas flight QF32 – an Airbus A380, the largest and most advanced passenger plane ever built. Hundreds of pieces of shrapnel ripped through the wing and fuselage, creating chaos as vital flight
systems and back-ups were destroyed or degraded.

In other hands, the plane might have been lost with all 469 people on board, but a supremely experienced flight crew, led by Captain Richard Champion de Crespigny, managed to land the crippled aircraft and safely disembark the passengers after hours of nerve-racking effort.

Tracing Richard’s life and career up until that fateful flight, QF32 shows exactly what goes into the making of a top-level airline pilot, and the extraordinary skills and training needed to keep us safe in the air. Fascinating in its detail and vividly compelling in its narrative, QF32 is the riveting, blow-by-blow story of just what happens when things go badly wrong in the air, told by the captain himself.
Richard De Crespigny, born and educated in Melbourne, got his first taste of a future flying career as a fourteen year old when his father took his on a tour of the RAAF Academy at Point Cook in Victoria.

In 1975, aged seventeen, he joined the RAAF. One year later, he started flying. During his eleven years with the RAAF, he was seconded as Aide-de-Camp to two Australian Governors-General – Sir Zelman Cowen and Sir Ninian Stephen. Richard remained with the RAAF until 1986 when he joined Qantas.

Publication details: Trade paperback; Price (Aust RRP): $34.99
Format: Ebook: $19.99

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