Into the Abyss: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop

By Carol Shaben

On an icy night in October 1984, a Piper Navajo commuter plane carrying 9 passengers crashed in the remote wilderness of northern Alberta, killing 6 people. Four survived: the rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop, and the criminal he was escorting to face charges. Despite the poor weather, Erik Vogel, the 24-year-old pilot, was under intense pressure to fly--a situation not uncommon to pilots working for small airlines. Overworked and exhausted, he feared losing his job if he refused to fly. Larry Shaben, the author's father and Canada's first Muslim Cabinet Minister, was commuting home after a busy week at the Alberta Legislature. After Paul Archambault, a drifter wanted on an outstanding warrant, boarded the plane, rookie Constable Scott Deschamps decided, against RCMP regulations, to remove his handcuffs--a decision that profoundly impacted the men's survival. As they fought through the night to stay alive, the dividing lines of power, wealth and status were erased and each man was forced to confront the precious and limited nature of his existence. The survivors forged unlikely friendships and through them found strength and courage to rebuild their lives. Into the Abyss is a powerful narrative that combines in-depth reporting with sympathy and grace to explore how a single, tragic event can upset our assumptions and become a catalyst for transformation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307360243

Carol Shaben

Carol Shaben is the daughter of crash survivor Larry Shaben. An award-winning writer, she has spent years researching the story and interviewing those involved.

Reviews for Into the Abyss

[clamato_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well researched, well written and very engaging. It was hard to put down. Tragic yet triumphant and clearly showed how the human spirit is as strong, or stronger than most things thrown at it. For a story about a crash that happened so long ago, Carol Shaben made it feel like it was a recent event and made me want to know how the survivors fared.

[lamour_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

On October, 1984, a Piper Navajo commuter plane crashed into the forest near High Prairie, Alberta. Four men survived that crash and this is their story about why they were on the plane, what happened to them during the accident, how they survived the extreme cold until rescued and how that experienced changed their lives. The four included the pilot, an RCMP officer, the prisoner who he was escorting to jail, and an Alberta Government cabinet minister.Shaben is a journalist and her writing style moves the story right along. Thoroughly enjoyed this volume.

[martinbodek · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The original headline for the book's cover ("Only four men survived the plane crash. The pilot. A politician. A cop... and the criminal he was shackled to.") was the most attention-grabbing I had ever seen. The story itself was extraordinary. The writing of the book itself, and the unreal amount of excellent research necessary to tell the story, was mind-blowing. This is an incredible journalistic achievement, with timelines of events lining up perfectly, and excellent insight garnered from those involved. Halfway through the book, the survivors are rescued, but the coda of their rebuilt and/or shattered lives continued to be compelling all the way to the end. To think, the author learned of the story from a newspaper article, and the entire book, with all its masterful storytelling and subsequent awards was fashioned beginning with simply that.

[dele2451 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The true story of four men forever changed by the tragedy of a preventable small commuter airplane disaster in the Canadian wilderness. Given the sheer volume and raw power of the facts surrounding this incredible true story, Shaben's book narrative didn't deliver quite the literary punch of other accomplished nonfiction disaster writers like Krakauer, Egan, or Laskin, but she does manage to balance good research regarding airline transportation safety shortfalls with an obvious respect and affection for the survivors (one of which was her father). A definite recommend for anyone involved with small aircraft and the people who utilize them for travel/recreation.