40 Years Ago Today: The Downburst

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NYCData
It was 40 years ago today that Eastern Flight 66 crashed on approach to JFK International Airport in New York. After being called in to investigate the crash, Dr. Ted Fujita coined the term "downburst" to describe the intense wind shear that caused the crash.

The era from the 60's to the mid-80's saw, on average, one of these crashes occurred every 18 months or so, a rate that is unimaginable today. The crashes continued along than needed because the "consensus" was that Dr. Fujita had it wrong. I tell the story of the conquering of the downburst in Warnings: The True Story of How Science Tamed the Weather. 

Comments

  1. PointSpecialJune 24, 2015 at 12:04 PM

    This is really an amazing story and a tragedy that Dr. Fujita wasn't believed. Thank you for telling his story in Warnings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike SmithJune 24, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete

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