“46 seconds between life and death. Captain Rod Lovell was cleared for take-off from Sydney Airport in South Pacific Airmotive’s DC-3, VH-EDC. There were 25 souls on board, most of them teenagers. Little did they know their lives were about to change in a matter of seconds. The main wheels lifted off the runway. Thirty seconds after take-off, the left engine failed! The events unfolded from that point. … Only someone highly trained and experienced will have the cognisance and reflexes to immediately use the expertise necessary to save the day. Where many others had previously failed, Captain Rod Lovell succeeded in ditching an aircraft, saving the lives of all on board. He was hailed as a hero by the community, but stripped of his honour by the authorities. Find out why he went “From Hero to Zero”.”--Back cover.