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Search - Born to Fly : The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane

Born to Fly The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane
Author: Shane Osborn, Malcolm Mcconnell

The riveting and inspiring story of how Navy Lieutenant Shane Osborn’s flying skills saved a Navy reconnaissance plane and its crew of 24 from almost certain death, and their subsequent ordeal of detention and interrogation. On April 1, 2001, aircraft commander Shane Osborn was piloting an EP-3 ARIES II reconnaissance plane over the South C... more »hina Sea when it was suddenly intercepted and harassed by two Chinese F-8 fighters. On earlier missions the Chinese had flown dangerously close to American aircraft in a nerve-wracking game of chicken. This time, however, one of the Chinese fighters went too far, colliding with Osborn’s plane and being hacked in two by one of its props, in the process inflicting catastrophic damage on the EP-3. With almost certain disaster impending, Lieutenant Osborn, using the aviation skills of a superbly trained pilot and the strength and endurance of a natural athlete, managed to recover from a near-inverted dive and avoid either ditching the plane in the sea or having the crew bail out, both potentially fatal maneuvers. Instead he and his crew were able to fly their crippled aircraft through harrowing circumstances to a safe emergency landing on the Chinese island of Hainan. Chinese military forces immediately took the crew into detention. Meanwhile, an international political crisis, the first of the new Bush administration, erupted between the United States and China as each superpower attempted to force blame on the other. Lieutenant Osborn, oblivious to the proceedings in the outside world, was separated from the rest of his crew and isolated in an interrogation room where he was subjected to hour upon hour of aggressive and repetitive videotaped questioning. Osborn, maintaining an iron will throughout, resisted the interrogators’ demands that he accept responsibility for the collision and apologize. Finally the two governments were able to work out an agreement for the release of the crew after being held for eleven days. Born to Fly takes us right into the cockpit of the reconnaissance plane on that fateful day, in a white-knuckle tale of heroism and split-second decision making. It also weaves in fascinating stories of Lieutenant Osborn’s insatiable desire to fly from early childhood and the Naval training that gave him the “right stuff” to handle the crisis in the air and on land. A portrait of a genuine American hero, Born to Fly gives unprecedented insight into one of the most dramatic incidents of the post-Cold War world.

ISBN-13: 9780767911115
ISBN-10: 0767911113
Publication Date: 11/13/2001
Pages: 272
Rating:

Currently 4.4/5 Stars.

4.4 stars, based on 4 ratings

Publisher: Broadway
Book Type: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Read All 1 Book Reviews of "Born to Fly The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane"

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Shelley M. (shelleylmb) - , reviewed Born to Fly : The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane on 6/19/2008 + 47 more book reviews

Wonderful fact based account of author's experience while flying a damaged EP3 into a South China airstrip. Vivid details allow the reader to visualize the encounter and the living conditions while there. From one of the crew members who was there "It is an accurate account of the events I experienced".

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Read All Book Reviews of "Born to Fly The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane"

Genres:

Biographies & Memoirs >> General
History >> Asia >> China >> General
History >> Military >> Aviation
History >> Military >> Intelligence & Espionage
History >> Military >> United States >> General
History >> Military Science

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Search - Born to Fly : The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane

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