Safe Landing: One Family’s Journey through the Deadliest Aviation Accident in American History

On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 tragically crashed near O’Hare Airport in what remains the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred in the United States. Three siblings from a West Ridge family lost their parents. Kim Jockl, Melody Smith, and Jim Borchers tell the story of losing their parents in their book Safe Landing, published in May of 2022.

In collaboration with the Chicago Public Library, meet the authors of Safe Landing as they share their story. Share in their incredible 40+ year journey of grieving with sudden loss, coming together as a family, and then working to honor all 273 lives lost that day.