Heroism, grit enshrined United Flight 232 crash in aviation lore

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/news/iowa/heroism-grit-enshrined-united-flight-crash-in-aviation-lore/article_4446be74-bd05-5263-97fd-235ee45bace0.html




THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
This iconic image of Lt. Col. Dennis Nielsen of the Iowa National Guard carrying Spencer Bailey away from the wreckage of United Flight 232 was made into a statue. The 3-year-old boy survived the crash.


POSTED: SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2014 12:30 AM
By David Hendee / World-Herald staff writer

The transcript: Calm in the cockpit and control tower

* * *
They all had the right stuff.

It happened 25 years ago. A catastrophically crippled United Airlines DC-10 passenger jet crash-landed at Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa, in a speeding blur of fire, smoke and broken, twisted metal. Of the 296 people aboard, 112 died of injuries and 184 survived.

The grit and heroism in city and sky that day — July 19, 1989 — catapulted the flight crew and Sioux City into aviation lore as prime examples of how to handle an emergency.

United Flight 232 was en route from Denver to Chicago and, ultimately, Philadelphia when a malfunctioning fan in the tail engine destroyed the aircraft’s hydraulic systems.

FULL story at link.

[Historic NY]

1. Everything came together in the right place at the right time...

imagine the training they just started and completed dealing with such a disaster. It caused additional planning and simulated air plane incidents all around the country with EMS and Fire services. They still do it yearly near me, it conditions a response. They picked the right airport to go along with their avation skill.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.

[laundry_queen]

3. Thanks for that story

I've seen a few shows on tv about this crash. One thing in this article I didn't know about was the flight attendant fighting to end the practice of lap children. I'm definitely with her on that. Not only is it dangerous for the children, it's dangerous for everyone else when the children fly around in a crash situation. Most people I know who fly with children always buy them a seat and bring their carseat with them. A child's life is worth so much more than the cost of a plane ticket.

[flygal]

4. I was in Denver at the airport when that happened

It was so horrible. As a flight attendant a few years later we learned about the efforts to change the lap child policy. Still hasn't changed.
Thanks for the link.