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  • No Man's Land

  • The Untold Story of Automation and QF72
  • By: Kevin Sullivan
  • Narrated by: Brett Cousins
  • Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (51 ratings)

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No Man's Land

By: Kevin Sullivan
Narrated by: Brett Cousins
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Publisher's Summary

A gripping account of how a major air disaster was averted, by the captain and former Top Gun pilot.

Instinctively, I release my pressure on the sidestick. Out of my subconscious, a survival technique from a previous life emerges: Neutralise! I'm not in control so I must neutralise controls. I never imagined I'd use this part of my military experience in a commercial airliner....

On routine flight QF72 from Singapore to Perth on 7 October 2008, the primary flight computers went rogue, causing the plane to pitch down, nose first, towards the Indian Ocean - twice.

The Airbus A330 carrying 315 passengers and crew was out of control, with violent negative G forces propelling anyone and anything untethered through the cabin roof.

It took the skill and discipline of veteran US Navy Top Gun Kevin Sullivan, captain of the ill-fated flight, to wrestle the plane back under control and perform a high-stakes emergency landing at a RAAF base on the WA coast 1200 kilometres north of Perth.

In No Man's Land, the captain of the flight tells the full story for the first time. It's a gripping, blow-by-blow account of how, along with his co-pilots, Sullivan relied on his elite military training to land the gravely malfunctioning plane and narrowly avert what could have been a horrific air disaster.

As automation becomes the way of the future, and in the aftermath of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 and Lion Air flight JT610, the story of QF72 raises important questions about how much control we relinquish to computers and whether more checks and balances are needed. 

©2019 Kevin Sullivan (P)2019 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

What listeners say about No Man's Land

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a Ledgend!

Brought insight into my own demons and how I need to face them. Thanks so much Capt Kev!

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A rare poor review!

I’ve read the “Miracle on the Hudson” & QF32, and thoroughly loved them. I started this book confident I would enjoy it, but I found the story too often diving away from the core incident and back into the Captains history.! This just padded out the duration of the book well in excess of what it needed to be.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant. what a wonderful read.

a brilliant recount of a horrid event and the brave actions of the Captain.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

This is no Airline Investigation!

This is a very personal account by the captain of QF72 padded out with his career details which, frankly, are only of minor relevance. References to 'I' and 'my' abound but very few 'we' or 'us' are to be found. While the author was the captain of QF72 readers would be forgiven for thinking that, in this account, most of the other crew members did little except get hurt.
The psychological flow-on effects of what occurred were very real but again the account is about the author with very little about anyone else.
If readers can see beyond the author's ego he does indeed make some very valid points about passenger aircraft automation and that makes for interesting reading.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic true story told with honesty

I love true stories and this one is a really riveting story right from the start. You'll find out all about Kevin's life and his experiences during one awful flight. The repercussions for him and for others are unbelievable. Highly recommended.

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