Dear Reader, Love Emilio Corsetti III

Dear Reader…

I’m guessing that you are an inveterate reader like me. I’m also going to guess that you gravitate mostly to fiction. I’ve heard many reasons for this. Nonfiction is boring. I don’t want to have to learn something when I read; I want to be entertained. If that’s you, then you are missing out. I have read a lot of great fiction over the years. But the truth is that I rarely remember anything about the story once I’m finished. I know it’s all made up. It isn’t real.

Nonfiction, on the other hand, always stays with me. I empathize with the characters more because I know they are real people. To me, the best nonfiction involves ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

This May 2, 1970 is the fiftieth anniversary of one of the most dramatic aviation accidents in history. The accident involved a commercial jet that ran out of fuel and was forced to ditch in the Caribbean Sea. Talk about ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

I’m sure you remember the ditching of USAir Flight 1549 back in 2009. There was a book and film about it. Sully is still considered to be a national hero. But unlike Flight 1549, which ditched into the docile Hudson river, ALM Flight 980 ditched into a turbulent sea some 35 miles from the closest shoreline. The plane didn’t stay afloat long enough for the passengers to walk out onto the wing to await rescue. The plane sank within five to ten minutes of the ditching. Not everyone made it out before the aircraft slipped beneath the waves. Those who did make it out found themselves floundering in ten to fifteen-foot swells with only their life vests and a lone escape chute to keep them afloat. They would be in the water for over an hour before the first rescue helicopter appeared. Some remained in the water for nearly three hours before being rescued.

I’ve written a book about this incident titled 35 Miles From Shore: The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980. Every event in the book is true. Every person you meet is a real person. This includes passengers, cabin crew, flight crew, rescuers, airline personnel, flight controllers, and investigators. Many of the people interviewed for the book are still alive, including the captain of the flight.

So, if you’re looking for something to add to your reading list, give this one a try. Try to imagine what you would do in that situation. Maybe I can even turn you into a nonfiction fan.

About the Book

 

On May 2, 1970, a DC-9 jet departed New York’s JFK international airport en route to the tropical island of St. Maarten. The flight ended four hours and thirty-four minutes later in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean. The subsequent rescue of survivors involved the Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines. In this gripping account of that fateful day, author Emilio Corsetti puts the reader inside the cabin, the cockpit, and the rescue helicopters as the crews struggle against the weather to rescue the survivors who have only their life vests and a lone escape chute to keep them afloat.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/39zbKBq

 Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/39HL7dz

About the Author

Emilio Corsetti III is a professional pilot and author. Emilio has written for both regional and national publications including the Chicago Tribune, Multimedia Producer, and Professional Pilot magazine. Emilio’s first book 35 Miles From Shore: The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980 tells the true story of an airline ditching in the Caribbean Sea and the efforts to rescue those who survived. Emilio’s latest release Scapegoat: A Flight Crew’s Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption tells the true story of an airline crew wrongly blamed for causing a near-fatal accident and the captain’s decades-long battle to clear his name. Emilio is a graduate of St. Louis University. He and his wife Lynn reside in Dallas, TX.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website Address: https://www.EmilioCorsetti.com
Blog: https://www.35milesfromshore.com (dedicated website)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilioCorsetti 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emilio.Corsetti.III