According to statistics, an airplane is the safest mode of transport. But every disaster makes millions of people doubt it. There is a story behind every tragedy that is kept in a black box.The authors of the book have collected under one cover real stories about plane crashes that occurred in different years. Each chapter is not just a story about the tragedy, but also a detailed analysis of the causes of the disaster, based on data obtained from those very black boxes, IAC reports, as well as interviews with eyewitnesses and participants in the events. Yes, someone managed to escape even when falling from a height of 10,000 meters. Special attention is paid to the impact of each accident on improving flight protocols and improving flight safety.You will learn how actions or inaction can affect the entire crew, how important the correct regime is for pilots, what pilots and controllers talk about, and how aviation works.Anton Kaidalov is an author, creator of the popular blog "Plane Crash Investigations", Master of International Law. Dmitry Susanov is the co—author of a number of stories for the book and articles for the blog, an active employee of the aviation security service and a future pilot.Andrey Lyakhov is a technical consultant, an accident investigation specialist with many years of practical experience, a former employee of the Interstate Aviation Committee, Doctor of Technical Sciences.