Kevin Campbell, (father of Lee who died) was an engineer and built a copy of the door locking mechanism to highlight the danger of the faulty locking system.
@@xiaoka The electrical locking system operating the latches was able to be short circuited "on" and over rotating said latches while appearing to be manually locked.
@@hannah1948 Considering that this plane disintegrated into tiny fragments way smaller than a cargo door, the vast size of the ocean and the underwater geology - I'm not suprised. Even ships hundreds of meters long and in one piece are often very hard to find. And they consist of thousands of tonnes of (magnetic) steel which is exponentially easier to detect than airplane parts made of an aluminium skin (non-magnetic) thinner than a coke can.
@@stanislavczebinski994 well, they did manage to find a few good sized peices of the plane, and there is no actual proof that it completely disintegrated.
The fact that the Campbells were so incensed by the lackluster findings that they just walked out having nicked all the documentation from the NTSB meeting was incredible. If you ever get the chance to watch the Air Crash Investigation/Mayday episode on it, Lee's dad describes the whole process with such dedication - and also much relish that they were right the whole time.
The fact that you could be sitting in a plane, comfortable and cozy, and instantly get hurled 30,000 feet to your death or obliterated by a plane engine is nightmarish beyond words.
I cannot even imagine! I agree, it is extremely horrifying. I try to not think about it too much, like I used-to in the past. Because it seriously would mess me up.
@@mericanignoranc3551 He said they were never seen again and that their chairs were ripped out of the plane into the sky. You're the one who paid no attention. You just see a comment with likes and try to shoot it down.
@javirancheros8781looked it up for you. The coast guard and Navy were dispatched to look for debris and survivors in a 3000 sq mi grid. Cutters were able to track down luggage, overhead bin compartment and other debris. They used the debris field to narrow down their search area. The 747 was 18 years old, the oldest jet in the fleet at that time. The debris field was 100 mi southwest of Honolulu. Sept 6 and Oct 1 1990 the door was recovered in two halves. There are pictures of the door. Took almost 2 years from the incident to find and recover the door.
You have to give props to Sue and Kevin Cambpell who took on the NTSB and won, stopping them from essentially brushing their son's death under the carpet.
Essentially? In your opinion. In their opinion, there was nothing there. And they were proved wrong. In your conspiracy, what would they gain? It would just happen again.
@@neilkurzman4907conspiracy? It was documented fact that the ntsb was already going to close the case, the Campbells had to fight, and spent pretty much all of their assets to fund the case to have the real story brought to light. (Did you watch the video?) There was plenty to gain, the 747s were an extremely popular plane, and grounding the fleet would’ve crippled the aviation system in the US, the FAA had a lot to lose because they’d not mandated that the replacement of the faulty latch happen immediately (which they should have, as the latch was highly dangerous and easy to unlatch in flight) , and that’s before the loss to Boeing for the millions they would have to pay out for the deaths and trauma all the passengers experienced. There was plenty to gain. Millions or billion in compensation, the financial hit to one of the US’s struggling airline manufacturers (remember that Boeing and McDonald Douglas merged in the 90s as a way to stem financial issues) there was a lot of reasons they would not want this to come to light.
@@neilkurzman4907 What are you talking about? .. The faulty door mechanism has been previously highlighted as a design flaw.. So it could be assumed the NTSB was aware of the design flaw ..
@@stuartd9741 The wiring issue wasn’t known. I’m not saying they didn’t drop the ball. But the NTSB is dealing with the fact they have a not guessing. DC-10, the NTSB recommend that we design, but the FAA didn’t require it. The NTSB can only make recommendations they have no enforcement power. As far as the Campbell’s were concerned, if their son hadn’t died, and the father hadn’t latched on to this, it would’ve happened again. And then maybe the NTSB may have figured it out. So somewhere, there’s an entire plane full of people that didn’t die and don’t know that he saved them
Wow. You packed about an hour of explanation into 11 minutes. Thank you for naming all nine victims. It is a small but meaningful tribute that I'm sure their families would appreciate.
The photos taken inside the plane by passengers made me think of Aloha 243. The woman who took a photo after the roof ripped off said she’d done it in hopes that the camera would found and the photo help the crash investigators.
Can you imagine if the crew were not as heavily experienced as they were, how much more of a disaster this could have been? RIP to the nine who perished.
I was thinking the same thing, it's so amazing the caption had everyone leave their seat belts on, I think he honestly should get big props for that, as he saved many lives by doing that.
One of the most heroic stories in aviation I've heard. How the crew managed to land the aircraft, and the death toll of 9, as sad as it was, is nothing short of miraculous. RIP to the 9 victims of this tragedy
Knowing yourself is knowing whether or not you have what it takes to keep a level head and do your job of securing people’s lives in a situation like that, and I 💯 know I personally do not.
That chick that was crawling up and down the aisles to check on passengers is a total BADA**. Up there w the nurse what happened to be at the Eastland accident.
I'm surprised that he didn't go into the fact that United was actually in the process of fixing the cargo doors on all their 747s when the incident happened, but that they put off doing the repair on this particular plane because they wanted to save money and wait until the plane went in for regular maintenance.
Mostly correct. But they didn't single out this particular plane or repair for cost savings. The repair was not seen as critical (as none had failed up to that point) and it was normal to wait for routine maintenance to install such a fix. As they had already done with some of their 747s. This wasn't some sort of deliberate attempt to circumvent a pressing, urgent, fix to save money as your comment seems to make out. It was the normal way of doing things. Planes periodically need to go in for checks that strip them down to varying extents. Most airlines will choose that time to install fixes and modifications not previously classified as urgent or priority. Hindsight tells us that the FAA should have mandated an immediate fix. But this was not done.
@@bmused55 If Boeing found the latching system a potential (albeit non-critical) fault, then the next question would be, "did they not foresee how disastrous the result could be upon its failing?". A cargo door, or any sizeable opening for that matter, accidentally opened mid-air could cause a serious problem even if it didn't tear a big hole in the fuselage. I wonder whether Boeing was optimistic and betting on the crews' competence or secondary/back-up components of the locking system (if present) to prevent such failure from occurring before the fix could be applied to every plane.
The same outward opening faulty door mechanism affected the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 in the '70s, and killed all 346 people on board Turkish Airlines Flight 981. The agonizing truth was that McDonnell Douglas knew the whole time of the faulty door, but decided against fixing it due to cost.
It wasn't just conspiracy, there had been a previous flight, American Airlines Flight 96 where the door blew off mid-flight. thankfully everyone survived that one, but it sadly wasn't enough of a wake-up call
@@susangreene9662 McDonnell Douglas lost millions on the DC-10 alone due to manufacturing constraints and defects. By the time the lawsuits arrived, the writing was on the wall. The successor to the DC-10, the MD-11, was not a commercial success, and Boeing purchased the company in a merger/acquisition in the '90s. Many view this decision as the downfall of Boeing.
@@M3GRSD I think there's a viewpoint that although Boeing seemed to purchase McDonnell Douglas, what actually happened was that MD's leaders were effectively put in charge of Boeing, hence why Boeing is seen as being a stock price focused company since that time, instead of engineering focused like it used to be.
What amazes me is that they evacuated the aircraft in 45 seconds after landing. That is a well-executed evacuation and a testament to how experienced the cabin crew was.
Wow, the one time when you don't want to be travelling in business class! Also, kudos to Lee Campbell's parents for being so persistent in determining what really caused the crash. They potentially saved many other lives from preventing the same thing from happening again.
I’m born and raised here on O’ahu. I was 14 years old and my older brother was working for Ogden Flight Services overnight at HNL. He was working that night when he saw the aircraft come in and said he was in shock at how huge that hole was in the side of the 747. He said it was a miracle it made it back to HNL. So sad what happened to those people. God rest their souls.
It sure had to be a well built aircraft to withstand that level of damage but everybody knew outward opening doors were a problem since the DC-10 in the 70's.
Remarkable?? Remarkable how badly designed that bloody door was. It'd be a lot more remarkable, or more to the point unremarkable if it didn't have a bloody big hole in it that sucked passengers into the engines. Smh 🙄🤦♂
@@28russ They mean it's remarkable that the plane didn't just fall apart with that extensive of damage. There have been stories, I believe even on this very youtube, of lesser damage causing more deaths.
I don't know. As an eng, I think considering the possibility of a door blowing off is reasonable to consider no matter what the cause. I would think that there should be a designed fail point so that the ripping off of the hinges is not allowed to propagate and start peeling off structural items that hold people and controls in place, among other things.
@@28russ The Aloha Airlines Flight 243 incident started from SIMPLY metal fatigue and poor maintenance, no cargo doors even necessary, and a significantly larger portion of the plane is missing entirely... DC 10's suffered a similar cargo door failure and at least one total loss (Turkish Air 981). What's remarkable is that the 747 didn't get stripped naked to the frame like a banana and while 9 fatalities is pretty bad (Flight 243 only lost one crew member)... It held together and the 747 has continued decades of good service since... Might not be a good look having a faulty engineered cargo door AFTER DC-10's proved how it was a bad idea to open doors outward without VERY careful design and testing parameters, BUT it's one little flaw from an otherwise outstanding and iconic aircraft... ;o)
Gotta admire the professionalism and level-headedness of the flight crew. The way they handled the situation helped prevent a dangerous emergency turning into an absolute disaster. They saved hundreds of lives with their quick and calm decision making, they were true heroes that day.
@@monsterx3055Not exactly. What they found suggested that at least one person went through the engine, but they don't know how many actually did. It certainly wasn't enough evidence to be all nine.
I knew a journalist who was on this flight. He kept calm by trying to focus on keeping the woman next to him okay. When we would travel for stories afterwards, we all tried to sit as close to him as possible. The reasoning being he was the safest person on the plane, and nothing was likely to happen to him twice in a row. The rest of us could be beneficiaries. : )
About 335 people were evacuated from the plane after it landed, in 45 seconds? 😳 If my numbers are correct, that was an amazing and extremely swift exit by the crew and passengers. 👍
In most emergency evacuation, they want the passages out of the plane within 90 seconds Anything above that can be deadly depending on the emergency at hand.
@javirancheros8781 You're the only one trying to damage his reputation, it once again takes mere seconds too find multiple sources stating that the plane was indeed fully evacuated in 45 seconds.
In order for the FAA to certify an aircraft to fly the full complement of passengers must be evacuated in under 90 seconds with half the exists blocked.@javirancheros8781
@@LauraGrrrr5370 I think the engine is preferable -- at least it was over for them quickly. They probably didn't even have time to register what had happened.
It took the better part of a year for Qantas to retrofit all of their 747's following the findings of this disaster, my late uncle was the lead technician overseeing the retrofit.
Lee Campbell wrote a short poem sometime before boarding the flight, it was found in his luggage after it was returned to his parents. Waves hypnotising me With green fingers. A dream of spaceflight, weightlessness, Air rushes past to fill a vacuum. Progressive holes which must be filled. Whilst some people believe this to be evidence that Lee had a premonition of the disaster, I believe he may have been thinking about the murder of all those aboard Pam Am Flight 103 which occurred over Lockerbie, Scotland only two months before. I have a pretty dark sense of humour but for those who see any humour in this I would say, one can only hope that your own demise is no less unpleasant, avoidable or premature.
The parents of a victim of the crash were the ones who actually proved that the locking mechanism has a big fault. They literally solved the entire crash and they are on an aircraft investigation program. The wear also from New Zealand so the drove around the United States gathering data . It was really interesting and amazing how they did that for their son , Lee . I remember his name because It is so sad but also heartwarming to see that.
What a horrible way to die. There seemed to be an awful lot of airplane incidents while I was growing up. Every time one came on the news,it made even more fearful of flying. While planes are safer now than driving,I have to fight that nagging fear every time I step into one.
I really appreciate the way you narrate those events, giving backstory and personality to those involved rather than the sensationalist approach so common in media today.
The fact that only 9 people died is astounding (and relieving!). If the decompression had happened further along in the flights &/or the crew was less experienced it could have been a different story.
Thank goodness for an experienced crew. They handled everything so well, even before they understood the full extent of the situation. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those lost.
An explosion on a plane in mid air, followed by getting sucked out of the plane and into it's jet engine has got to be up there on one of the scariest ways to die.
I remember hearing about this story on the news. So scary. I couldn’t even imagine sitting on a plane one second, the next your ripped out a big hole! Those poor people. Great job to the pilots, for getting the rest to safety.
I knew EXACTLY what this was about, I learned about this 10-years ago from a really good Documentary on Discovery channel (back when they actually talked about factually true events) about the development of the Boeing 747.
*If David Cronin was retiring, he wasn't 50 he was 60. That was the former mandatory retirement age.* We in Hawaii were spooked, as this came on the heels of Aloha 243! I got to see this 747 with my own eyes. It was parked at Hickam AFB (adjacent to HNL) during the NTSB investigation. The hole was covered with clear sheet plastic. I was on a plane taxiing out to the Reef Runway to take off for California. Lovely thing to see right before the flight!
Point of interest 1: All 747s were built by hand. No robotic or automated processes were ever involved in 747 construction. Point of interest 2: The reason why 747 cockpits are up so high is because Boeing also built a strictly freight-carrying, non-passenger version, which has an upward-opening nose cone which allows cargo to be loaded and unloaded through the nose and straight into the fuselage. The cockpit is up high enough so as not to obstruct the passage of freight through the nose. 747 freighters are still widely in use.
Nobody seems to be talking about the fact that this was another 747 effectively exploding and with passengers being killed, just eight weeks after the Lockerbie tragedy. That would have been a very jarring and disconcerting turn of events while the previous tragedy was still so raw in everyone's minds.
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 Yes, sort of. It's a painting by Susan Herbert...she did so many wonderful animal paintings. I'm one of those "both" people. I have 3 cats and 2 big dogs.
@@donnamariedavidson5065and very similarly, most cruise ships disasters have had their unfortunate ends from captains who were retiring. it’s honestly pretty strange.
Your documentaries are excellent, I am always happy to see a new video! Your attention to detail is great, and your explanations are clear and easy to listen to. Keep up the great work!
Just thought someone should say your decision not to overemphasise the likely fate of those passengers was well judged. It's about as horrifying an end that I can possibly imagine, but there's no mileage in being ghoulish about the detail. Well written sir.
@@anacsadderthe most explicit bit he had was at the end when he said where the only remains of those passengers were found. I hadn't realised untill then 😢
It’s a shame that when something like this happens, the employees of the airline tend not to return to their livelihoods. I wonder if there is compensation or insurance of some sort in their contracts…
As soon as this started with a pilot close to retirement you already feel more comforted because the older pilots tended to have more airmanship skills than the current crop who have grown up with automation.
Sometimes, and I wish they did this more often, they list the cockpit crew and number of hours, and T I T (Time In Type) meaning flight time of the pilot in that model at the time of the accident. A pilot with a high T I T would be very familiar with the layout of the cockpit and controls, and would have a excellent "feel" of the controls, as if they are stiffer or more sluggish than they have been in the past. Things that intuitively tell him/her that something is off and may cause problems in the future. They have an advantage that if something does happen, they were already thinking of responses to the situation.
its honestly crazy how well organised the passengers and crew were in the situation and how rapidly they were able to evacuate upon landing. big props to all of them for keeping everyone else safe and especially to those who took on active roles in helping others.
I took a United 747-800 from San Francisco to Inchon in 2016 and sat directly behind the wall of the right pilot seat in business class. This accident of 1989 may have saved my life in 2016. RIP my heroes.
Honestly, the fact thst the only lives lost were the ones in the chairs where the side ripped off is incredible. I suppose its also helpful that they didnt get far but all things considered, its kind if amazing.
Another great video from my favorite youtuber! What a story of a completely harrowing story. If no one on that flight ever flew again it would be totally understandable. Kudos to the engineer dad! RIP to the souls lost.
I hope you enjoy making aviation videos as much as we love watching them. Their incredible stories and intensely interesting investigative component make them perfect for this channel!
The most terrifying part about this is knowing that at least a few people were caught in the engines and that they must've practically been disintegrated for there to be lackluster remains. That's terrible.
RIP to the nine who unfortunately were instantly killed. Captain Cronin deserves the highest praise possible for his cool head under a very dire situation, safely bringing the plane down and saving the lives of the rest of those on board.
I flew on 811 to Auckland about a month before, embarking at Hawaii. Unsure if it was the same aircraft, but it gave me a bit of a shock when I heard about it.
I naturally assumed the pilot on his second-to-last flight before retirement was doomed; glad he was there with the crew to land the plane and save so many people.
Jesus christ. I can't imagine just sitting on an airplane and then suddenly find myself in mid air falling to my doom I decided to save this one to watch later after returning from an international flight. That was a good plan.
I often wonder about the use of the term heroic when referring to the flight crew. In the majority of cases they are acting in their own self-interest and survival mode (and nothing wrong with that), but they did not seek to put themselves in that situation. It’s the cabin crew in situations like this that are much more likely to earn the acclamation of hero. They could just get to a seat and stay there, and look after themselves. But in the vast majority of emergency situations, the cabin crew are up and about in the cabin at considerable personal risk, working hard to do the best for the passengers in their charge, or getting the passengers out during an evacuation, when the temptation to just jump down that slide must be huge. The whole crew here did exceptionally well in this incident, but my biggest respect and admiration is for all those cabin crew who, when faced with such a terrifying situation, conducted themselves without reproach.
The cabin crew are very well trained. But training alone can't prepare anyone for a disaster like this. It's amazing what they were able to accomplish while literally hanging on for their lives.
The most unbelievable part of this story (about a plane falling apart mid-air and sucking passengers into the engine) was that the survivors all deplaned within 45 seconds of the plane coming to a halt.
It’s horrible to think that those people who were sucked out of the aircraft, were sucked into the engine and pulverised ! Let’s hope it happened so fast that they didn’t realise and suffered ! R.I.P. 😢
Okay, wow. I couldn't sleep, and guess what was in my recommendations? This gem was. Watching at 2am on Tuesday, here in beautiful Laughlin, Nevada. I wish all of you a very good night, and a good day as well!❤
huge props to the crew, watching your other airplane crash videos: a striking difference is that these pilots and flight attendants kept their heads on their shoulders. smart decision after smart decision undoubtedly prevented an inconceivable amount of damage and death
I had no idea that flight pilots had to retire so early....I think there should be an age limit...but 50 seems so young for such a limit.... I know nothing bout flying though so it must just be ignorance on my part.
RIP to all. BIG props to the Campbells, their fight was righteous! Big props to the crew, too. That was AWESOME WORK! And FH, I LOVE aviation, this was cool!
The Saul Bass “Rainbow Tulip” aircraft livery. United Airlines’ best and most iconic livery, and back when it was a truly great airline. It was followed by one of United’s most heinous liveries, the “Battleship Grey” livery. The “Blue Tulip” livery which followed that looked good, but unfortunately didn’t stay around long, due to the boneheaded post-merger decision to go with the bland and boring Continental Airlines branding.
Wow! Haven't thought about this in years. My brother-in-law was on the flight from LAX to Hawai'i and had disembarked in Hawai'i before the accident happened. Long time ago. Good that Lee Campbell's parents didn't give up showing that the aircraft and builders were at fault.
![[Live สด] การออกรางวัลสลากกินแบ่งรัฐบาล งวดวันที่ 16 กรกฎาคม 2567](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/B8gcGM6I6e4/mqdefault.jpg)
Kevin Campbell, (father of Lee who died) was an engineer and built a copy of the door locking mechanism to highlight the danger of the faulty locking system.
@@anonymousunknownbenafactor8790 wtf?
Another Troll@@anonymousunknownbenafactor8790
The fact that it could have been improperly latched because of human error, is in itself a design flaw.
@@xiaoka The electrical locking system operating the latches was able to be short circuited "on" and over rotating said latches while appearing to be manually locked.
Ah ok, thanks for the explanation. I was wondering how they managed to workout what an NTSB crash investigation team couldn't.
never underestimate the tenacity of grieving parents
Ok
but they still can't find malaysian flight 370, an entire airplane.
That's because they don't know where it went down. They knew exactly where the door fell off. Come on really?@@hannah1948
@@hannah1948 Considering that this plane disintegrated into tiny fragments way smaller than a cargo door, the vast size of the ocean and the underwater geology - I'm not suprised.
Even ships hundreds of meters long and in one piece are often very hard to find. And they consist of thousands of tonnes of (magnetic) steel which is exponentially easier to detect than airplane parts made of an aluminium skin (non-magnetic) thinner than a coke can.
@@stanislavczebinski994 well, they did manage to find a few good sized peices of the plane, and there is no actual proof that it completely disintegrated.
The fact that the Campbells were so incensed by the lackluster findings that they just walked out having nicked all the documentation from the NTSB meeting was incredible. If you ever get the chance to watch the Air Crash Investigation/Mayday episode on it, Lee's dad describes the whole process with such dedication - and also much relish that they were right the whole time.
It is both a fantastic and incredible part to the story that they just nicked a whole lot of documentation from the conference room
He literally stole the documents??
when people bitch and cry about 'goobermint regyoulayshuns' they should be forced to watch this channel's videos.
Brains and balls; DAY-UM!
No kidding eh?
The fact that you could be sitting in a plane, comfortable and cozy, and instantly get hurled 30,000 feet to your death or obliterated by a plane engine is nightmarish beyond words.
You don't pay attention .
I cannot even imagine! I agree, it is extremely horrifying. I try to not think about it too much, like I used-to in the past. Because it seriously would mess me up.
They wouldnt know what hit them before they were mince meat
@@mericanignoranc3551 He said they were never seen again and that their chairs were ripped out of the plane into the sky. You're the one who paid no attention. You just see a comment with likes and try to shoot it down.
Given where they found parts of them, it appears they didn't have to travel that far to their death.
I’m just amazed that they found a door the size of a small car, at the bottom of the ocean.
Is the Earth flat?
@@davidpawson7393nah
@@davidpawson7393There are no stupid questions. Only stupid people who ask questions. 🤦♂️
@javirancheros8781 it takes two seconds to google and find multiple sources saying the door was found by a manned deep sea submersible.
@javirancheros8781looked it up for you. The coast guard and Navy were dispatched to look for debris and survivors in a 3000 sq mi grid. Cutters were able to track down luggage, overhead bin compartment and other debris. They used the debris field to narrow down their search area. The 747 was 18 years old, the oldest jet in the fleet at that time. The debris field was 100 mi southwest of Honolulu. Sept 6 and Oct 1 1990 the door was recovered in two halves. There are pictures of the door. Took almost 2 years from the incident to find and recover the door.
You have to give props to Sue and Kevin Cambpell who took on the NTSB and won, stopping them from essentially brushing their son's death under the carpet.
Essentially? In your opinion.
In their opinion, there was nothing there. And they were proved wrong.
In your conspiracy, what would they gain? It would just happen again.
@@neilkurzman4907conspiracy? It was documented fact that the ntsb was already going to close the case, the Campbells had to fight, and spent pretty much all of their assets to fund the case to have the real story brought to light. (Did you watch the video?)
There was plenty to gain, the 747s were an extremely popular plane, and grounding the fleet would’ve crippled the aviation system in the US, the FAA had a lot to lose because they’d not mandated that the replacement of the faulty latch happen immediately (which they should have, as the latch was highly dangerous and easy to unlatch in flight) , and that’s before the loss to Boeing for the millions they would have to pay out for the deaths and trauma all the passengers experienced.
There was plenty to gain. Millions or billion in compensation, the financial hit to one of the US’s struggling airline manufacturers (remember that Boeing and McDonald Douglas merged in the 90s as a way to stem financial issues) there was a lot of reasons they would not want this to come to light.
Almost as if the NTSB were quietly working in the interests of the airline instead of actually doing their job.
@@neilkurzman4907
What are you talking about?
..
The faulty door mechanism has been previously highlighted as a design flaw..
So it could be assumed the NTSB was aware of the design flaw ..
@@stuartd9741
The wiring issue wasn’t known.
I’m not saying they didn’t drop the ball.
But the NTSB is dealing with the fact they have a not guessing.
DC-10, the NTSB recommend that we design, but the FAA didn’t require it.
The NTSB can only make recommendations they have no enforcement power.
As far as the Campbell’s were concerned, if their son hadn’t died, and the father hadn’t latched on to this, it would’ve happened again. And then maybe the NTSB may have figured it out.
So somewhere, there’s an entire plane full of people that didn’t die and don’t know that he saved them
Wow. You packed about an hour of explanation into 11 minutes. Thank you for naming all nine victims. It is a small but meaningful tribute that I'm sure their families would appreciate.
Yeah FH is great about honoring the victims of the stories he tells. He’s a stand up guy.
The photos taken inside the plane by passengers made me think of Aloha 243. The woman who took a photo after the roof ripped off said she’d done it in hopes that the camera would found and the photo help the crash investigators.
Where can that photo be found?
I saw it on a “Mayday/ Air Disasters” program, I think.
Very thoughtful. Hope I could have that presence of mind under that kind of stress,
Can you imagine if the crew were not as heavily experienced as they were, how much more of a disaster this could have been? RIP to the nine who perished.
I was thinking the same thing, it's so amazing the caption had everyone leave their seat belts on, I think he honestly should get big props for that, as he saved many lives by doing that.
One of the most heroic stories in aviation I've heard. How the crew managed to land the aircraft, and the death toll of 9, as sad as it was, is nothing short of miraculous. RIP to the 9 victims of this tragedy
They would’ve got sucked out like a movie as well just WHOOF and they’re gone like that’s insane
Knowing yourself is knowing whether or not you have what it takes to keep a level head and do your job of securing people’s lives in a situation like that, and I 💯 know I personally do not.
That chick that was crawling up and down the aisles to check on passengers is a total BADA**.
Up there w the nurse what happened to be at the Eastland accident.
I'm surprised that he didn't go into the fact that United was actually in the process of fixing the cargo doors on all their 747s when the incident happened, but that they put off doing the repair on this particular plane because they wanted to save money and wait until the plane went in for regular maintenance.
Mostly correct. But they didn't single out this particular plane or repair for cost savings. The repair was not seen as critical (as none had failed up to that point) and it was normal to wait for routine maintenance to install such a fix. As they had already done with some of their 747s.
This wasn't some sort of deliberate attempt to circumvent a pressing, urgent, fix to save money as your comment seems to make out. It was the normal way of doing things. Planes periodically need to go in for checks that strip them down to varying extents. Most airlines will choose that time to install fixes and modifications not previously classified as urgent or priority. Hindsight tells us that the FAA should have mandated an immediate fix. But this was not done.
It’s giving flight 191 unfortunately
$$$$$$$$
@@bmused55 If Boeing found the latching system a potential (albeit non-critical) fault, then the next question would be, "did they not foresee how disastrous the result could be upon its failing?". A cargo door, or any sizeable opening for that matter, accidentally opened mid-air could cause a serious problem even if it didn't tear a big hole in the fuselage. I wonder whether Boeing was optimistic and betting on the crews' competence or secondary/back-up components of the locking system (if present) to prevent such failure from occurring before the fix could be applied to every plane.
@@Dulcimertunes It was not that simple. You cannot get dozens of competent aircraft engineers capable of carrying out modifications out of a hat.
The same outward opening faulty door mechanism affected the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 in the '70s, and killed all 346 people on board Turkish Airlines Flight 981. The agonizing truth was that McDonnell Douglas knew the whole time of the faulty door, but decided against fixing it due to cost.
It wasn't just conspiracy, there had been a previous flight, American Airlines Flight 96 where the door blew off mid-flight. thankfully everyone survived that one, but it sadly wasn't enough of a wake-up call
@@partariothegoth Luckily that flight had some hydraulic fluid left for control. Flight 981 was uncontrollable.
Figures with big business: money over lives. I hope relatives sued the hell out of the airline.
@@susangreene9662 McDonnell Douglas lost millions on the DC-10 alone due to manufacturing constraints and defects. By the time the lawsuits arrived, the writing was on the wall. The successor to the DC-10, the MD-11, was not a commercial success, and Boeing purchased the company in a merger/acquisition in the '90s. Many view this decision as the downfall of Boeing.
@@M3GRSD I think there's a viewpoint that although Boeing seemed to purchase McDonnell Douglas, what actually happened was that MD's leaders were effectively put in charge of Boeing, hence why Boeing is seen as being a stock price focused company since that time, instead of engineering focused like it used to be.
What amazes me is that they evacuated the aircraft in 45 seconds after landing. That is a well-executed evacuation and a testament to how experienced the cabin crew was.
I'm not even sure that's possible is it!
@@2760ade The maximum amount of time that an evacuation should take, regardless of aircraft size, is 90 seconds, just to give some perspective.
@@shatteredshards8549 That still makes 45 seconds quite an achievement though!😀
I'll bet I could evacuate a LOT faster than that under those circumstances.
Wow, the one time when you don't want to be travelling in business class! Also, kudos to Lee Campbell's parents for being so persistent in determining what really caused the crash. They potentially saved many other lives from preventing the same thing from happening again.
But… it wasn’t a crash
@@icarusbinns3156 You're right! I should have said 'incident', not 'crash'.
I’m born and raised here on O’ahu. I was 14 years old and my older brother was working for Ogden Flight Services overnight at HNL. He was working that night when he saw the aircraft come in and said he was in shock at how huge that hole was in the side of the 747. He said it was a miracle it made it back to HNL. So sad what happened to those people. God rest their souls.
The pilot took so many factors into consideration and acted so quickly. Very efficient and decisive decision-making that saved hundreds of lives.
Despite the faulty door taking those poor souls, that gaping hole is a testament to the remarkable 747.
It sure had to be a well built aircraft to withstand that level of damage but everybody knew outward opening doors were a problem since the DC-10 in the 70's.
Remarkable?? Remarkable how badly designed that bloody door was. It'd be a lot more remarkable, or more to the point unremarkable if it didn't have a bloody big hole in it that sucked passengers into the engines. Smh 🙄🤦♂
@@28russ They mean it's remarkable that the plane didn't just fall apart with that extensive of damage. There have been stories, I believe even on this very youtube, of lesser damage causing more deaths.
I don't know. As an eng, I think considering the possibility of a door blowing off is reasonable to consider no matter what the cause. I would think that there should be a designed fail point so that the ripping off of the hinges is not allowed to propagate and start peeling off structural items that hold people and controls in place, among other things.
@@28russ The Aloha Airlines Flight 243 incident started from SIMPLY metal fatigue and poor maintenance, no cargo doors even necessary, and a significantly larger portion of the plane is missing entirely... DC 10's suffered a similar cargo door failure and at least one total loss (Turkish Air 981).
What's remarkable is that the 747 didn't get stripped naked to the frame like a banana and while 9 fatalities is pretty bad (Flight 243 only lost one crew member)... It held together and the 747 has continued decades of good service since... Might not be a good look having a faulty engineered cargo door AFTER DC-10's proved how it was a bad idea to open doors outward without VERY careful design and testing parameters, BUT it's one little flaw from an otherwise outstanding and iconic aircraft... ;o)
man this shockingly helps my flying anxiety, knowing that a giant hole can be ripped into the plane and most people still will survive
Gotta admire the professionalism and level-headedness of the flight crew. The way they handled the situation helped prevent a dangerous emergency turning into an absolute disaster. They saved hundreds of lives with their quick and calm decision making, they were true heroes that day.
RIP the 9 victims who's bodies were never found, may their souls rest in peace.
there bodies were found, fineley chopped and cooked in engine number three
@@monsterx3055Not exactly. What they found suggested that at least one person went through the engine, but they don't know how many actually did. It certainly wasn't enough evidence to be all nine.
@@monsterx3055
Edgy.
@@monsterx3055
No all nine didn’t go through the engine
I'd probably rather this than falling for however long, at least it was quick. @@monsterx3055
I knew a journalist who was on this flight. He kept calm by trying to focus on keeping the woman next to him okay. When we would travel for stories afterwards, we all tried to sit as close to him as possible. The reasoning being he was the safest person on the plane, and nothing was likely to happen to him twice in a row. The rest of us could be beneficiaries. : )
Lightning can also strike twice😂
@@ingridverbuntakashe-wolf4662 We could live with lightning...but not the plane peeling open!!! :)
Smart!! I would do the very same.
I imagine that also helped him feel calmer, safer.
You should perhaps google Tsutomu Yamaguchi...
About 335 people were evacuated from the plane after it landed, in 45 seconds? 😳 If my numbers are correct, that was an amazing and extremely swift exit by the crew and passengers. 👍
In most emergency evacuation, they want the passages out of the plane within 90 seconds Anything above that can be deadly depending on the emergency at hand.
Does seem incredibly quick.
@javirancheros8781 You're the only one trying to damage his reputation, it once again takes mere seconds too find multiple sources stating that the plane was indeed fully evacuated in 45 seconds.
To be fair, there was a bigger door now
In order for the FAA to certify an aircraft to fly the full complement of passengers must be evacuated in under 90 seconds with half the exists blocked.@javirancheros8781
I don't think there's a scarier thought than getting blown out of the plane and spending all that time to yourself just hurtling down from the sky.
Getting blown out of the plane and sucked straight into the engine.
@@LauraGrrrr5370now, that is HORRIFYING.😢
Your comment reminds me of the Pan-Am crash that happened in Lockerbie.
Absolutely FRIGHTENING.
😮😢
@@LauraGrrrr5370 I think the engine is preferable -- at least it was over for them quickly. They probably didn't even have time to register what had happened.
@@chocolatechip12 exactly. Messed up isn’t it?
It took the better part of a year for Qantas to retrofit all of their 747's following the findings of this disaster, my late uncle was the lead technician overseeing the retrofit.
Your uncle likely saved many lives! Outwards opening doors on pressurized aircraft are time bombs waiting to go off.
Lee Campbell wrote a short poem sometime before boarding the flight, it was found in his luggage after it was returned to his parents.
Waves hypnotising me
With green fingers.
A dream of spaceflight, weightlessness,
Air rushes past to fill a vacuum.
Progressive holes which must be filled.
Whilst some people believe this to be evidence that Lee had a premonition of the disaster, I believe he may have been thinking about the murder of all those aboard Pam Am Flight 103 which occurred over Lockerbie, Scotland only two months before.
I have a pretty dark sense of humour but for those who see any humour in this I would say, one can only hope that your own demise is no less unpleasant, avoidable or premature.
The progressive hole was engine no 3.
That’s creepy.
Wow…..🥺
i tink dat he rushed into da engine 👍🏻
It is unlikely to feel the hypnotising power of the waves when you get shredded by the engine.
The parents of a victim of the crash were the ones who actually proved that the locking mechanism has a big fault. They literally solved the entire crash and they are on an aircraft investigation program. The wear also from New Zealand so the drove around the United States gathering data . It was really interesting and amazing how they did that for their son , Lee . I remember his name because It is so sad but also heartwarming to see that.
What a horrible way to die. There seemed to be an awful lot of airplane incidents while I was growing up. Every time one came on the news,it made even more fearful of flying. While planes are safer now than driving,I have to fight that nagging fear every time I step into one.
I really appreciate the way you narrate those events, giving backstory and personality to those involved rather than the sensationalist approach so common in media today.
Yes, this is one of my favorite channels because he DOES NOT sensationalize.
The fact that only 9 people died is astounding (and relieving!). If the decompression had happened further along in the flights &/or the crew was less experienced it could have been a different story.
Thank goodness for an experienced crew. They handled everything so well, even before they understood the full extent of the situation. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those lost.
This video seems pretty relevant right now given what just happened with Alaskan Air
I remember this well. I was a struggling pilot working on my commercial license at the time. It shook the flying community pretty firmly at the time.
I'm surprised they repaired a 19 year old plane and put it back in service. Especially considering the damage.
An explosion on a plane in mid air, followed by getting sucked out of the plane and into it's jet engine has got to be up there on one of the scariest ways to die.
I remember hearing about this story on the news. So scary. I couldn’t even imagine sitting on a plane one second, the next your ripped out a big hole! Those poor people. Great job to the pilots, for getting the rest to safety.
I knew EXACTLY what this was about, I learned about this 10-years ago from a really good Documentary on Discovery channel (back when they actually talked about factually true events) about the development of the Boeing 747.
I remember that documentary even though I was a child at the time. Every time this channel covers a plane crash I can't help but think of it.
You know its Tuesday morning when FH drops a video
If only Nuke would drop one, too.
@@Galactic_Galactic89who is nuke?
@@seandelap8587 Nuke's Top 5
It's the most Fascinating part of my Tuesday . . .
@@rrice1705 haha lol
Just like the crew, the Campbells were true heroes in their fight to find out and reveal the truth
*If David Cronin was retiring, he wasn't 50 he was 60. That was the former mandatory retirement age.* We in Hawaii were spooked, as this came on the heels of Aloha 243! I got to see this 747 with my own eyes. It was parked at Hickam AFB (adjacent to HNL) during the NTSB investigation. The hole was covered with clear sheet plastic. I was on a plane taxiing out to the Reef Runway to take off for California. Lovely thing to see right before the flight!
I remember Aloha 243 because of the tv movie, and I saw a documentary about this one. I didn't realize they were less than a year apart.
@@yitznewtonhe was about to turn 60 when it happened in 1989 if he was 50 he would have been 71 in 2010 🤨
👍
@@JedCurrie oops yeah, arithmetic fail
Where do you even GET plastic THAT BIG, tho?
Point of interest 1: All 747s were built by hand. No robotic or automated processes were ever involved in 747 construction.
Point of interest 2: The reason why 747 cockpits are up so high is because Boeing also built a strictly freight-carrying, non-passenger version, which has an upward-opening nose cone which allows cargo to be loaded and unloaded through the nose and straight into the fuselage. The cockpit is up high enough so as not to obstruct the passage of freight through the nose. 747 freighters are still widely in use.
The graphics for the crew hours and name are great, i like the new addition, you should do it for more videos
id love to see you cover American Airlines Flight 587 some day. its a crash i was personally a witness to that haunted me my whole life.
Nobody seems to be talking about the fact that this was another 747 effectively exploding and with passengers being killed, just eight weeks after the Lockerbie tragedy. That would have been a very jarring and disconcerting turn of events while the previous tragedy was still so raw in everyone's minds.
You'd think after 1st one would be safest time to fly.
I'm early!
Those poor people who were blown out of the plane. 😢
Cute thumbnail and I'm a dog person. Vermeer, right?
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 Yes, sort of. It's a painting by Susan Herbert...she did so many wonderful animal paintings. I'm one of those "both" people. I have 3 cats and 2 big dogs.
I’ve began noticing how some transportation disasters involve one of the crew members retiring in some way-
The ones I've watched, had the pilot on their last flight before retiring.
@@donnamariedavidson5065and very similarly, most cruise ships disasters have had their unfortunate ends from captains who were retiring. it’s honestly pretty strange.
Your documentaries are excellent, I am always happy to see a new video! Your attention to detail is great, and your explanations are clear and easy to listen to. Keep up the great work!
Another great video
Just thought someone should say your decision not to overemphasise the likely fate of those passengers was well judged. It's about as horrifying an end that I can possibly imagine, but there's no mileage in being ghoulish about the detail. Well written sir.
Yeah, people can go to Shrouded Hand for that nonsense.
If it's any consolation they would have died instantly
When he got to that bit at the end I thought, "The seats dropped out... and the engine broke... Oh..."
@@anacsadderthe most explicit bit he had was at the end when he said where the only remains of those passengers were found. I hadn't realised untill then 😢
@@SillyNep
Cases of things like that happening are so awful to contemplate.
It’s a shame that when something like this happens, the employees of the airline tend not to return to their livelihoods. I wonder if there is compensation or insurance of some sort in their contracts…
As soon as this started with a pilot close to retirement you already feel more comforted because the older pilots tended to have more airmanship skills than the current crop who have grown up with automation.
Sometimes, and I wish they did this more often, they list the cockpit crew and number of hours, and T I T (Time In Type) meaning flight time of the pilot in that model at the time of the accident. A pilot with a high T I T would be very familiar with the layout of the cockpit and controls, and would have a excellent "feel" of the controls, as if they are stiffer or more sluggish than they have been in the past. Things that intuitively tell him/her that something is off and may cause problems in the future. They have an advantage that if something does happen, they were already thinking of responses to the situation.
its honestly crazy how well organised the passengers and crew were in the situation and how rapidly they were able to evacuate upon landing. big props to all of them for keeping everyone else safe and especially to those who took on active roles in helping others.
Those two pilots were the roughest looking 48 and 50 year olds that I've ever seen in my life! They looked 68 and seventy.
People looked much older than their age 40 odd years ago
I took a United 747-800 from San Francisco to Inchon in 2016 and sat directly behind the wall of the right pilot seat in business class. This accident of 1989 may have saved my life in 2016. RIP my heroes.
My mom was on this flight (well before I was born) crazy thinking about how I wouldn’t be here if it crashed.
Amazing that the airframe did not fail structurally.
Honestly, the fact thst the only lives lost were the ones in the chairs where the side ripped off is incredible. I suppose its also helpful that they didnt get far but all things considered, its kind if amazing.
That was a horror story for sure!! Thank you for telling it so well and very respectful!
Another great video from my favorite youtuber! What a story of a completely harrowing story. If no one on that flight ever flew again it would be totally understandable. Kudos to the engineer dad! RIP to the souls lost.
Have you ever heard of the Sinking of Dongfang zhi Xing in 2015? Very tragic disaster with very few videos, I’d love to hear your take on it.
Yeah. That was horrible! 450 plus dead. Mostly elderly. Some say a tornado hit the ship.
I hope you enjoy making aviation videos as much as we love watching them. Their incredible stories and intensely interesting investigative component make them perfect for this channel!
The most terrifying part about this is knowing that at least a few people were caught in the engines and that they must've practically been disintegrated for there to be lackluster remains. That's terrible.
RIP to the nine who unfortunately were instantly killed.
Captain Cronin deserves the highest praise possible for his cool head under a very dire situation, safely bringing the plane down and saving the lives of the rest of those on board.
Riveting! Thankyou as always for your fantastic content!
I flew on 811 to Auckland about a month before, embarking at Hawaii. Unsure if it was the same aircraft, but it gave me a bit of a shock when I heard about it.
This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌
Crazy I just found your channel and watched this right before Alaska flight 1282 lost its plug door over Portland, OR!
I salute the crew.
They did an amazing job!
I naturally assumed the pilot on his second-to-last flight before retirement was doomed; glad he was there with the crew to land the plane and save so many people.
Jesus christ. I can't imagine just sitting on an airplane and then suddenly find myself in mid air falling to my doom
I decided to save this one to watch later after returning from an international flight. That was a good plan.
I like that you guys emphasize the incident date. As I watch (or) listen, I usually forget when it happened.
This! I often rewind to the title card of the date a few minutes into watching 😅
I often wonder about the use of the term heroic when referring to the flight crew. In the majority of cases they are acting in their own self-interest and survival mode (and nothing wrong with that), but they did not seek to put themselves in that situation. It’s the cabin crew in situations like this that are much more likely to earn the acclamation of hero. They could just get to a seat and stay there, and look after themselves. But in the vast majority of emergency situations, the cabin crew are up and about in the cabin at considerable personal risk, working hard to do the best for the passengers in their charge, or getting the passengers out during an evacuation, when the temptation to just jump down that slide must be huge. The whole crew here did exceptionally well in this incident, but my biggest respect and admiration is for all those cabin crew who, when faced with such a terrifying situation, conducted themselves without reproach.
The cabin crew are very well trained. But training alone can't prepare anyone for a disaster like this. It's amazing what they were able to accomplish while literally hanging on for their lives.
I was hyper-ventilating when FH said "body fragments." That is just about as brutal a picture as has ever been painted on any of his videos! 😳😭😢
respect for the parent who figured out the flaws of the doors. It must be hard to miss someone who wasn't found, especially when it is your own child
The most unbelievable part of this story (about a plane falling apart mid-air and sucking passengers into the engine) was that the survivors all deplaned within 45 seconds of the plane coming to a halt.
It’s horrible to think that those people who were sucked out of the aircraft, were sucked into the engine and pulverised ! Let’s hope it happened so fast that they didn’t realise and suffered ! R.I.P. 😢
Thanks for the story, Always good to hear new information
I’m always amazed that this plane was fully repaired, put back into service and worked until 1998 before being finally scrapped in 2004.
I've seen multiple videos about this incident, but I chilled by it every time...
Excellent video. Thank you!
Thanks for this story. Very sad.
How. . . how on earth did they ever locate the door?!? I mean, that's akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.
More flights! Best fascinating horror video format!
Okay, wow. I couldn't sleep, and guess what was in my recommendations? This gem was. Watching at 2am on Tuesday, here in beautiful Laughlin, Nevada. I wish all of you a very good night, and a good day as well!❤
Early! Love your videos 🫶
What a horrible death for those 9 people. Agonising for their families also, as people really want the bodies of their deceased loved ones.
huge props to the crew, watching your other airplane crash videos: a striking difference is that these pilots and flight attendants kept their heads on their shoulders. smart decision after smart decision undoubtedly prevented an inconceivable amount of damage and death
Another informative video, thanks!
I had no idea that flight pilots had to retire so early....I think there should be an age limit...but 50 seems so young for such a limit.... I know nothing bout flying though so it must just be ignorance on my part.
It’s a mistake it was really 60
It’s 65 now
Just saw another video about this and the story of the Campbell's is amazing. But, as usual, FH's storytelling is superior!
RIP to all. BIG props to the Campbells, their fight was righteous! Big props to the crew, too. That was AWESOME WORK! And FH, I LOVE aviation, this was cool!
The Saul Bass “Rainbow Tulip” aircraft livery. United Airlines’ best and most iconic livery, and back when it was a truly great airline. It was followed by one of United’s most heinous liveries, the “Battleship Grey” livery. The “Blue Tulip” livery which followed that looked good, but unfortunately didn’t stay around long, due to the boneheaded post-merger decision to go with the bland and boring Continental Airlines branding.
Im here from that Alaska airlines incident that happened
Last words anyone wants to hear from the most experienced person on the plane is "WTF WAS THAT" LOL 😮
I’ll never get over the badass intro music!! I love it!!❤
Wow! Haven't thought about this in years. My brother-in-law was on the flight from LAX to Hawai'i and had disembarked in Hawai'i before the accident happened. Long time ago. Good that Lee Campbell's parents didn't give up showing that the aircraft and builders were at fault.
It's always very moving when you name the dead.
I do appreciate hearing that crew who live through horrific flights and ship wrecks mostly stay away from the vehicles that tried to kill them.
Considering whats been going on with boeing as of late, this video has aged incredibly well.
Thank you ❤
My biggest fear is crash landing into water in the pitch black night in the middle of nowhere
Fantastic pilot and crew! That intution to keep the seatbelt notice on.