I loved Frances Peck’s novel The Broken Places, so was excited to see she had a new book coming out. While The Broken Places is about the aftermath of a big earthquake on the British Columbian coast, Uncontrolled Flight is about the aftermath of a plane crash that takes place while fighting British Columbia’s wildfires.
Rafe is considered the best pilot of his kind, so what happened the day he went down? Was something on his mind? Was he distracted by something? Or was there a mechanical malfunction that no one caught? These are some of the questions that plague the people Rafe left behind: his wife, his flying partner, and the individuals investigating the crash.
As in The Broken Places, the story is told through multiple narrators. Rafe’s flying partner Will, who saw the plane go down, agonizes over Rafe’s death for months. He drinks too much, eats too little, stops washing and shaving and going out. He feels like there was something he could have done to prevent the accident and is filled with guilt.
What was up with him? I have no idea. He never said. So why the hell didn’t I ask? That’s the question that gnaws at me in the wee hours, when I lie awake replaying the crash day. … The real reason, when I force myself to admit it, is simple and spectacularly selfish: I didn’t want to go there. I was juiced up that morning, raring to go despite my short sleep. Maybe even because of my short sleep. The memory of Gracie was still fresh, I could smell her on my fingers, and I was hoping her long legs would wrap around me one more time before we left town. We had a hard day of flying ahead, but the conditions were good. That fire was ours, we had it in the bag. The truth is, I didn’t want anyone to bring me down.
Rafe’s wife, Sharon, feels numb and empty. How do you move on after losing your spouse of 25 years? She wonders if his crash has anything to do with their recent arguments. As much as they seem like the perfect couple, trying (and failing) to have a child for 20 years can put a huge strain on a couple. Sharon was grieving the loss of the hope of motherhood long before she had to grieve her lost husband.
…the truth is, her reluctance to leave sleep started well before Rafe died. It’s been years since she woke up gladly, re-entered life with anticipation or energy; years since morning was anything but a troubled time, a time of anxiety and suspension, of disappointment and lies.
Nathalie‘s not supposed to get involved in any way with Rafe’s crash investigation, but Will refuses to talk to anyone at the organization but her. Besides, she wants to know what happened as much as everyone else – for reasons of her own.
Better to hit than be hit.
As the story moves from one narrative to another, the puzzle starts getting pieced together, emotions fluctuate in all directions, and things get intense. Grief is processed by the characters in different ways – not always constructively.
Fear has ruled so much of her life. Fear of change, fear of anything new and unpredictable. Fear of not getting what she wants, fear of losing what she has. Fear of being loved too much, of not being loved enough.
After reading the book, and being hugely impressed with the knowledge about airplanes and crash investigations, I was not surprised to learn that Frances Peck is married to a pilot and retired air accident investigator. I had no idea how much was involved in the process. A novel about the realities and dangers of fire-fighters is so relevant now that the occurrence and severity of wildfires around the world is on the rise.
Similarly to what I said in my review of The Broken Places–that the book is not really about an earthquake– Uncontrolled Flight is not really about a plane crash – it’s about humanity: how we move through the world, how we process our experiences, and how we need each other for all of it.
Thank you to NeWest Press for sending me a copy of this book!
Consumed by Ink 
You know, I really admire someone who could write this, but I could never read it. I’ve done my share of air travel, but although I know it is irrational because air travel is really very safe, I am still a bundle of nerves…
So many people are!
For me, I think the wildfires scare me more than the air travel. (Although, it’s been over 25 years now since I flew so I don’t really know anymore how I would react to it!)
Thanks for reading, Lisa!
This sounds so well put together. Interesting that her previous novel was about the aftermath of disaster, too.
Yes, that makes me wonder what her next book will be!
Although we seem to have got to the situation where our bushfire seasons seriously overlap, we in Australia tend to use US and Canadian planes (we have none of our own) in your winter. A plane from British Columbia crashed in remote Western Australia earlier this year while water bombing (the pilots walked away this time, though I think the same firm had a fatal crash in NSW a couple of years earlier).
I didn’t know any of that – interesting!
I can’t imagine any such crashes resulting in people walking away, but I’m glad to hear it’s the case.
This sounds good. I’m unfamiliar with this author.
She’s relatively new, coming out of British Columbia. Originally from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, though. 😉
This sounds excellent. I’d be interested to read both her novels.
I wonder how easy they are to get outside the country. We only have one copy in all of Nova Scotia’s libraries, and it’s at our branch because I suggested it for purchase. 🙂
I checked after I read your review – not easy but not impossible 🙂 Wonderful that your library listened to you!
I love my library! 🙂
Hmm that author’s name doesn’t ring a bell, but both sound like great books. I’m a bit of a nervous flier however, so this one is not for me 🙂
Maybe you’d prefer her first book about an earthquake… So much less nerve-wracking. Lol
Hahahaha, great advice!
I heard a show on CBC radio about these investigations a few years ago and it really left a mark on my thinking; I can imagine this kind of story would have the same effect. So many unanswered questions: perfect to explore in fiction. And NeWest has some really great books.
I had no idea how it worked. And so much more enjoyable to learn about it in a novel than somewhere else!
I’ve loved all the NeWest Press books I’ve read!