26 Seconds
Grief and Blame in the Aftermath of Losing My Brother in a Plane Crash
by Rossana D'Antonio
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Pub Date May 13 2025 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
On a stormy late May morning in 2008, TACA Airlines Flight 390 crashes at one of the most dangerous airports in the world, Honduras’s Toncontin International Airport. Five people die in the crash—among them Rossana D’Antonio’s brother, pilot Cesare D’Antonio. Suspecting Cesare will be made a scapegoat for the accident, as so often happens to pilots, Rossana decides to leverage her decades of experience as an engineer and set out in search of the truth.
Part memoir, part exposé, 26 Seconds interweaves Rossana’s research regarding other parallel accidents with her own story. Six months after the TACA crash, Captain Sully Sullenberger lands his plane on the Hudson River. Although authorities call his landing a miracle, they also blame him for its necessity. One year after the TACA 390 tragedy, Air France 447 falls from the sky. Again, pilot error.
As Rossana digs deeper, she exposes a culture that is too quick to conclude pilot error and an industry that experiences systemic weaknesses, chooses profits over safety, lies to its customers, and is willing to risk lives to get its planes back up in the sky. Ultimately, she uncovers the smoking gun she’s been looking for—revealing the truth about TACA 390, exposing aviation cover-ups, and challenging us all to question the very systems we’ve been told we can trust with our lives.
A Note From the Publisher
Rossana D’Antonio is a licensed engineer with expertise in infrastructure design and emergency management and a strong advocate for infrastructure investments, including the Federal Aviation Authority Reauthorization. Shaped by her Italian and Salvadoran parents, D’Antonio is deeply committed to family and understands the value of creating an environment in which everyone feels safe and protected. She finds peace in Malibu, California, where she resides with her husband, Freddie, and puppy, Luna.
Advance Praise
"An engrossing re-creation of an aviation tragedy, blending meticulous analysis with a passionate plea for reform."
—Kirkus Reviews
“Where others see only ‘human error,’ and learn nothing of value (they have their lullaby and ghost story nicely buttoned up, after all), Rossana takes us by the hand and shows us what there is to learn and love instead. Speaking for the dead speaks as loudly for Cesare as it does for everyone who could have been in his shoes. It speaks for the past as much as for the future—our future, and the future of Cesare’s legacy.”
—Dr. Sidney Dekker, Author of THE FIELD GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING ‘HUMAN ERROR’
“26 Seconds is impossible to put down. You will read it in one sitting. I happily lost a night’s sleep as my heart raced, tears stinging my eyes. Turning page-after-page, I couldn’t read fast enough to see if Rossana’s heroic search to find the 'smoking gun' that would ultimately clear her brother’s name would be uncovered by her ceaseless efforts to research each detail of the disaster.”
—Monica Holloway, Author of DRIVING WITH DEAD PEOPLE
“26 Seconds pulls you into a deep personal family crisis on a personal level, where the reader has an unquenchable thirst to get to the truth themselves. It also highlights the author’s defining moment, when she will not let governments and large, influential businesses hide the inconvenient truth by placing blame on 'pilot error.' Because of her valor, she will have saved countless other lives, while also reframing her brother’s death as a hero who saved 130 lives. My hat’s off to Rossana for telling this important story!”
—Maria Lehman, PE Director, US Infrastructure at GHD and Former ASCE 2023 President
“A very personal, heart-wrenching story. I came away so inspired by grief transformed into a positive mission.”
—Marsha Anderson Bomar, Ph.D., Commissioner Emeritus, Atlanta Department of Transportation
“Rossana has woven a deeply personal narrative of loss. This is a compelling book with an important message for all of us to be catalysts for change. A powerful book!”
—Dr. Feniosky Pena-Mora, Dean of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781647429041 |
| PRICE | $17.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 256 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kelly P, Reviewer
I recall both of the tragedies Rossana discusses in the new book. I have an uncle who was a pilot for a commercial airline. I found this story to be informative and enjoyable, even though it deals with grief. I appreciated the honesty and authenticity from the author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Michael L, Reviewer
26 Seconds by Rossana D’Antonio is a deeply personal account of the author’s search for answers in the wake of her brother’s death in the crash of an airliner that he was piloting. Her commitment to finding answers is admirable. The writing is precise and interesting enough. Thank you to #netgalley and #shewritespress for the opportunity to preview this book.
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