“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the sudden opening of the forward lower lobe cargo door in flight and the subsequent explosive decompression,” the NTSB shares in a statement seen by Simple Flying, “The door opening was attributed to a faulty switch or wiring in the door control system which permitted electrical actuation of the door locking mechanisms, which made them susceptible to deformation, allowing the door to become unlatched after being properly latched and locked. Everything came down from the ceiling and the walls inward to us.”. United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747-122 (registration number N4713U), took off from Honolulu International Airport bound for Sydney, Australia, via Auckland, New Zealand with 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, and 337 passengers aboard. Laura Brentlinger, a United flight attendant serving as chief purser on the service was making her way up the famous spiral staircase of the aircraft when the decompression happened. She said the airline’s training for flight attendants exceeds industry standards, including eight hours of classroom work, four hours of home study and added security training each year. Edward Lythgoe of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, who suffered two broken ribs in the incident, said he returned to work only last week and still reacts with newfound anxiety whenever a plane gets into turbulence and during landing and takeoff. The staff secured oxygen masks before clearing debris from the aisles and exits. Having built strong relationships with Qatar Airways, United Airlines, Aeroflot, and more, Sumit excels in both aviation history and market analysis. Other members of the crew described how it was in the lower galley. United Airlines Flight 811 was an airline flight that experienced a cargo door failure in flight on February 24, 1989, after its stopover at Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii.The resulting decompression blew out several rows of seats, resulting in the deaths of nine passengers. He blamed news headlines for sometimes creating the impression that aviation is unsafe. The aircraft would join Air Dabia with registration C5-FBS in March 1997. After the plane stabilized, Brentlinger led the preparation of the cabin for an emergency landing. Let us know what you think of the incident in the comment section. The airliner returned to Honolulu, where it landed safely. United Airlines Flight Attendants in the 1980s. There was grey, swirling smoke and debris flying everywhere, Captain David Cronin, and his crew, consisting of First Officer Gregory Slader and Flight Engineer Randal Thomas, returned, Flight 811, first joined United in November 1970. According to Planespotters.net, N4713U, the 747 performing Flight 811, first joined United in November 1970. However, thanks to the quick response and the determination of the crew members, further devastation managed to be avoided. The airlines doctor allegedly told him to “Go home, stay home and don’t come back….we don ’t have people like you working for us.” United Flight 811, which held 337 passengers, 15 flight attendants and the flight crew of Cronin, first officer Al Slader and flight engineer Mark Thomas, was passing between 22,000 and 23,000 feet elevation when a forward cargo door blew out, resulting in a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft. The damaaged fuselage of United Airlines Flight 811. I felt a cold wind and sucking if you will, but it wasn’t a sucking. AP. ″It makes it more difficult because you have to fly by the seat of your pants,″ she said. The aircraft was operating Flight 811 from Los Angeles to Sydney with scheduled stops in Honolulu and Auckland when the incident happened. I felt a cold wind and sucking if you will, but it wasn’t a sucking. 7 talking about this. In the final moments before landing, certain staff members sitting together on their jumpseats and rehearsing emergency evacuation procedures. She said there has been no report that any passenger on Flight 811 was unable to don a vest. Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) statement seen by Simple Flying highlights how cabin crew swiftly attended to those injured on the flight. Flight attendant ‘is lying’ over tragedy. The explosive decompression that followed blew out several rows of seats on the aircraft. Boeing 747-122 experienced a cargo door failure taking off from Honolulu. Do you know anyone that was affected by the events? WASHINGTON (AP) _ Only three of the 16 flight attendants aboard United Flight 811, whose side ripped open Feb. 24 and pulled nine passengers to their deaths, have regained their composure enough to return to work. He recalled what he experienced when collapsing into the right aisle. Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner gave the plane’s pilots and other crew members the Secretary’s Heroism Award in ceremonies Wednesday, saying the flight attendants overcame ″the deafening, hurricane-like winds that swept through the cabin″ as they helped passengers deal with the crisis over the Pacific. This caused extensive damage to the fuselage and cabin structure adjacent to the door. Other flight attendants from Hawaii receiving the secretary’s award included Laura Brentlinger, Tina Blundy, Jean Nakayama, Ilona Benoit and Ricky Umehira, all of Honolulu, and Robyn Nakamoto of Aiea. The Boeing 747 landed safely in Honolulu after aborting a flight to New Zealand. United 811, a Boeing 747-122 (registration number N4713U), took off from Honolulu International Airport bound for Auckland, New Zealand with 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, and 337 passengers at approximately 01:52 local time. (BBC) Debris damaged the two engines on the right wing, causing them to lose power. Sadly, nine people lost their lives following the unexpected incident. Get a free quote. They then prepared for an emergency landing. Flight 811 was Cronin's penultimate scheduled flight before his mandatory retirement. Big panels fell on people’s heads. Flight Attendant Darrell Blankenship of Seattle, who accepted the award with his arm still in a cast, said a flying liquor cart jammed into him during the flight. HONOLULU (AP) _ Deafening noise, yellow dust and debris filled the cabin when a huge hole ripped open in the side of a Boeing 747, crewmembers said, and the pilot said he knew he was only going to have one shot at landing the jet. The pilots and 15 flight attendants worked well to avert even greater tragedies. Some of the Flight Attendants of United 811 holding up a sign saying ‘We love you Captain Cronin’ Flying still remains one of the safest forms of transport. Yesterday marked 32 years since a United Airlines Boeing 747 lost a cargo door shortly after departing, resulting in nine passenger fatalities. United Airlines Flight 811 was a passenger flight from Los Angeles to Sydney with stops in Honolulu and Auckland. United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747-122, N4713U, took off from Honolulu (HNL), Hawaii at 01:33 local time, bound for Sydney, Australia, with an intermediate stop at Auckland, New Zealand. Flight 811 took off from Honolulu International Airport bound for Auckland, New Zealand with 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, and 337 passengers at approximately 01:52 local time. Altogether, with such a frightening and time-sensitive incident arising, the crew members managed to get 346 people to safety. Most of the attendants who worked to protect the remaining 327 passengers in the howling horror of the plane’s darkened cabin have not been able to return to work either because of physically or psychologically problems, according to their supervisor. Its flight crew consisted of Captain David Cronin, First Officer Al Slater and Flight Engineer Mark Thomas. She was just feet from the hole before managing to hook her elbow around the bottom rung of the stairs to the upper deck. HORRIFIED passengers claim flight attendants ignored their pleas for help to rescue a dog stuffed in an overhead bin, with one lying about the incident. ″The quality of our training has never deteriorated and, in fact, we have enhanced it to improve proficiency over the years,″ she said. February 24, 2017 — This year, United Airlines will retire the 747 fleet, which closes out a monumental period of aviation history, including the harrowing events of flight 811 on February 24, 1989. Digging Deeper. Each day they help connect our customers to destinations around the world and to the people and moments that matter most, all with a warm and welcoming spirit. At United, our flight attendants aren’t just the face of our airline, they’re the heart and soul. This UNOFFICIAL (not union affiliated) page supports flight attendants at the merged United Airlines. United Airlines Flight 811. Sharol Perkins of Honolulu said not enough oxygen bottles or enough megaphones, needed to communicate with passengers above the roar caused by the hole, were readily available to flight attendants. In a separate meeting, the Airline Pilots Association gave Superior Airmanship Awards to the pilot and copilots. On February 24, 1989, United Airlines (UAL), flight 811, a Boeing 747-122 (B-747), N4713U, was being operated as a regularly scheduled flight from Los Angeles, California (LAX) to Sydney, Australia (SYD) with intermediate stops in Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) and Auckland, New Zealand (AKL). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shares that examinations reveal that the forward lower lobe cargo door had separated during the flight. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation into the incident following a hearing in Seattle last month. Home; About Us; Services; Photo Gallery; Contact Us; Menu ; and 13 flight attendants. At United we love our flight attendants every day of the year, but today is the day to really tell them how much we appreciate them. She acknowledged, however, that some passengers have complained of difficulty in putting on life vests. Captain David Cronin, and his crew, consisting of First Officer Gregory Slader and Flight Engineer Randal Thomas, returned the 747 to Honolulu, landing 24 minutes after the cargo door had been lost. *Flight Attendant for United Airlines for 31 years. Simple Flying by Sumit Singh. Investigators have focused on a possible malfunction in the locking mechanism of the cargo door that blew off with a large section of the fuselage. ''I was praying for my life, for the lives of the passengers, that we would get down safely,'' said Laura Brentlinger, chief purser on United Airlines' Flight 811. And why not? United Airlines Flight 811. Deputy Editor - Sumit comes to Simple Flying with more than eight years’ experience as a professional journalist. She expresses that the 747 saved her life and she cried when the legendary plane was retired. Ten passenger seats were carried away along with nine passengers. The staff secured oxygen masks before clearing debris from the aisles and exits. Do you remember hearing about the flight when it occurred 32 years ago? On February 24, 1989, the Boeing 747-122 experienced a cargo door failure taking off from Honolulu. The explosive decompression that followed blew out several rows of seats on the aircraft. There were 3 flightcrew, 15 flight attendants, and 337 “Immediately the air filled with a hazy smoke and flying debris. Awards were to be sent to those not attending from Hawaii - John Horita of Hilo, Mae Sapolu of Honolulu and Richard Lam of Haleiwa. Skinner handed out awards to Capt. Bretlinger also previously shared that had the aircraft been any other type, she is not sure if she would have survived. ″The corporation doesn’t seem to think safety is cost- effective.″. Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 19875 and arrived straight from Boeing’s Everett site. DAVID BRISCOE May 11, 1989. The initial climb passed through an area of thunderstorms, so … But even all these years after the Flight Attendants spoke out about the safety issues on Flight 811, many crew still question the corners airlines, aircraft manufacturers and aviation authorities cut to try and cut costs. There was grey, swirling smoke and debris flying everywhere,” Christensen said, as shared by Confessions of a Trolley Dolly. As it climbed through 22,000 feet the forward cargo door opened into the airstream and was torn off with a large piece of the aircraft skin immediately above. United Airlines Flight 811 experienced a cargo door failure while flying from Hawaii to Auckland on February 24, 1989. Having written for The Independent, Evening Standard, and others, his role here allows him to explore his enthusiasm for aviation and travel. They then prepared for an emergency landing. But several flight attendants interviewed after the ceremonies were critical of the state of aviation safety and accused United Airlines of cutting back in training and safety equipment. It was like being in the middle of a huge cannon blast, a blast of cold air. However, the crew on board the plane were heralded for their actions amid the chaos. She said at least one has refused to fly at all and ″may never fly again″ because of the experience. This airline was a short-lived Gambian outfit, which flew between 1996 and 1998. Ms. Dornacker said safety equipment aboard United planes either meets or exceeds FAA specifications, providing more supplies of emergency oxygen than required. Sarah Shanahan of Kailua, Hawaii, said she does not want to return to work until United improves its training for emergencies. Joani Zumbrunnen, manager of United flight attendants in Honolulu, said they were still recovering from the effects of the incident. On February 24, 1989, 9 of the 337 passengers on United Flight 811 exited the flight early to their untimely deaths. The company denied the criticism, saying it meets or exceeds all Federal Aviation Administration regulations and industry standards. Ms. Shanahan, who has been flying for 22 years, said attendants used to have to undergo three days of retraining each year, including an open-book test, but now have only an eight-hour session. Following the incident, it was re-registered as N4724U at the end of 1989 and returned to service in 1990. Boeing 747-122 experienced a cargo door failure taking off from Honolulu. Skinner also gave awards to Linda Shirley and Curtis Christensen of San Francisco and Leonard Jenkins of Denver, who was flying as a passenger but joined the crew after the door blew off. The NTSB also recognized the vital safety role that staff on board played following the loss of the door. Three other flight attendants did not attend the program but were to receive their awards later. Its flight crew consisted of Captain David Cronin, First Officer Al Slater and Flight Engineer Randal Thomas. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Flight 811 from Los Angeles to Sydney with scheduled stops in Honolulu and Auckland when the incident happened. An Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) statement seen by Simple Flying highlights how cabin crew swiftly attended to those injured on the flight. The aircraft was operating Flight 811 from Los Angeles to Sydney with scheduled stops in … It held. A United spokesman said today that investigators were trying to determine if the sign was turned on at the time the skin of Flight 811 ruptured. The staff secured oxygen masks before clearing debris from the aisles and exits. Flight 811 took off from Honolulu International Airport bound for Auckland, New Zealand with 3 flight crew, Also contributing to the accident was a lack of timely corrective actions by Boeing and the FAA following a 1987 cargo door-opening incident on Pan Am B-747.”. It was like being in the middle of a huge cannon blast, a blast of cold air. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily aviation news digest. It was tragic that nine people lost their lives while in the skies on February 24th, 1989. Moreover, the crew received the Secretary’s Award for Heroism for their efforts. United Flight 811, which originated in San Francisco and made a stop in Los Angeles, took off from Honolulu at 1:34 a.m. (6:34 EST) for a flight to Auckland, New Zealand. What are your thoughts about what happened on United Airlines Flight 811? The decompression forced the walls to cave in. At the moment of the explosion, Curt Christensen, who was also working on board, was facing forward with empty hands, standing partly in the aft service center. 1 priority is safety. At the time of the accident, Cronin had logged around 28,000 flight hours, including approximately 1,600 to 1,700 hours in Boeing 747 aircraft. 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