Boeing 747 Breaks Up Just After Takeoff | Falling Apart Over Hawaii (With Real Audio)

A Boeing 747 operating as United Airlines Flight 811 takes off from Honolulu Airport, Hawaii, on a routine flight to Auckland, New Zealand. However, 17 minutes after liftoff, part of the right-side fuselage of the aircraft rips off, causing an explosive decompression. Find out what happens next.
Get early access to future videos and support the channel here:
• / theflightchannel
Check out the Official Shop with merchandise here:
• teespring.com/stores/thefligh...
Follow TheFlightChannel
• Facebook: / theflightchannel
• Instagram: / tfc_aviation
Business Enquiries
• Email: [e-mail]
This video has been recorded and edited in 4K resolution and 60FPS.

[@cristinapatrizia3281]

If I remember correctly the NTSB & FAA did not advise Boeing to make the changes to the cargo door design willingly. I suspect that a lot of grift was going on. It took constant lobbying, many years, and thousands of hours of research by one of one of the passengers parents (Kevin & Susan Campbell) to get them to make that change. They are the ones that found the design flaw and refused to be silenced until they were victorious and forced everyone to make changes to the door design. That young man's parents were New Zealanders, he was 24 years old and his name was Lee Campbell. He was Kevin and Susan's only child and they did this in tribute to his memory and also so that future passengers wouldn't perish as their son did. They dropped everything and came to the US to accomplish that amazing feat.

[@7CharlesV]

Yes, Cristina! I remember watching a documentary on this very subject, in particular the tenacity of the parents who would not quit until the accountability of those responsible was revealed. Over years and at considerable personal expense those parents were unrelenting in their efforts to have their son's death be not in vain. Thanks for bringing that side story back to mind!

[@cristinapatrizia3281]

@@7CharlesV Yes! I saw that same documentary many years ago and it made such an impression on me that I've never forgotten their story. Lee's parents made sure that some good came out of their unimaginable grief. They have probably saved numerous lives throughout these many years! They should be remembered for their bravery.

[@gilessb]

Minor correction: Lee Campbell and his parents were New Zealanders not Australians.

[@cristinapatrizia3281]

@@gilessb Thank you for pointing that out. I will make the edit now.

[@markcat6738]

@@7CharlesV Do you recall the name of the documentary? I'm interested in learning more about this!

[@anik1860]

Pilots sounded very calm and cool while handling such an emergency. That's how it should be. Shows how confident they were with their flying skills

[@robertdragoff6909]

Make it their aviator skills They all followed their protocols and procedures and got that 747 back to the airport.

[@opeoluwaayodeleodeyingbo6309]

Hi

[@opeoluwaayodeleodeyingbo6309]

I sent u a message did you get it ?

[@larrybe2900]

A pilot Is someone who is able to fly a plane in crisis not only in good times. Having 99.999 percent of the time to be uneventful with that one in a million life or death event take place requires a special degree of discipline I applaud. Gravity is a mighty adversary.

[@opeoluwaayodeleodeyingbo6309]

@@larrybe2900 hi Larry do you read my message ?

[@pololedodo7981]

The calmness in those pilot's voices under emergency always amaze me.

[@user-rh2pt6ic4i]

Yea. Me too

[@JF-NYC-NJ-Girl]

Same I can’t believe that I could keep that kind of control knowing what is happening or about to happen

[@malahammer]

Most pilots are, they all train for emergencies.

[@JClaus1221]

Military, accept no substitutes.

[@gskessingerable]

Thank God for that Captain and his crew. The Captain sounded so calm under such a stressful and dire situation. He was obviously confident in his skills and knew exactly what to do.

[@gpt-jcommentbot4759]

this crash reminds me of TWA Flight 800. The difference is that Flight 800 was not as lucky...

[@josimpson7999]

Agreed. The Captain was as cool as a cucumber. RIP Sir.

[@Oqualquer]

The captain is probably one of the nicest persons in the world that's for sure.

[@thickerconstrictor9037]

God has nothing to do with it.

[@reinharthertz2526]

@@thickerconstrictor9037 That's really rich coming from someone who wasn't there. I knew Capt Cronin personally and he gave ALL the credit for saving the plane, crew, and passengers to God. Go back into your hole ...

[@slingshot1961]

He ended his career like a BOSS! Well done to the Captain and the entire flight crew. I'm so sorry about the passengers who died.

[@watershed44]

@slighshot1961 Yep, that Captain was an old school expert! I wonder if he was a former Air Force pilot before his commercial career?

[@KristineMarieTxSPI]

Amazing, indeed! So much respect.

[@micheleh5269]

How are we mandating retirement for someone like this?

[@lesliepropheter5040]

It helped immensely that the Air Traffic Controller kept his cool and didn’t over react therefore helping the Captain keep his cool

[@vintvarner16]

​@micheleh5269 I know, they should have made a special exception for him if he wanted to keep flying he could. Although if that was my last flight, I would think "that's it, not going to press my luck any further"

[@Rufus6540]

Over 350 people evacuated in less than 45 seconds? Hats off to the flight attendants, their training, and keeping cool under very stressful situation.

[@lot6129]

What was the rush, no fire or anything, ended up scaring them and bruises, cuts etc for no need

[@bradjohnson482]

@@lot6129 The pilot said the engine was on fire, remember? Yes, they needed to get themselves off quickly.

[@bradjohnson482]

It sounds like no one tried to get their luggage which is shocking in itself.

[@YouGotPropofol]

@@lot6129 well they probably also thought it was a bomb since Lockerbie had recently happened. Who knew of there was “another bomb” waiting to go off.

[@trevorregay9283]

No sure the flight attendants had anything to do with the mass exodus.....sounds like it was an "everyone for themselves" get me the hell outta here stampede........with people probably knocking over flight attendants trying to get off the plane ASAP.....

[@philipgauthier3570]

I've flown with Captain Cronin, he is an epic aviator. Despite his vast experience he remains humble. I will never forget the lasting example he made upon me (an upcoming young 28yr old Captain) during our short interactions in his post retirement life in the pt135/91 world flying King Airs.

[@amandaseeley789]

So cool that you've flown with him!

[@philipgauthier3570]

@@amandaseeley789 He was sooo humble...acted as if he didn't know anything and let me show him what I knew. He was also an incredible glider pilot and attributed his knowledge of unpowered flight for his successful return to the airport after the explosion.

[@ghidrah76]

Wow. That’s a great story. What a great job he did to get everyone back safely.

[@cbesthelper404]

@@philipgauthier3570 I love those kinds of souls. They leave you the room you need to grow and learn. He sounds calm and peaceful on the video.

[@Sassycat757]

Wow! 45 seconds. That tells me that no one panicked and followed directions. Hats off to the crew. The nine that perished didn't even have a chance💔

[@garyschultz883]

Quite a retirement Flight for the good Captain...

[@bordaz1]

You’re probably right about the passengers not panicking, but it was also more common to have less-full domestic US flights before 9/11 and the pandemic.

[@DarthVader1977]

@@garyschultz883 Quite a* retirement flight*

[@garyschultz883]

🦈@@DarthVader1977 🦈 .......👁️‍🗨️ good 👁️......

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

The 9 got sucked into engine 4 and turned into a meat smoothie.

[@theycallmetundraboy914]

I was fully expecting for this to be a tragedy. In many ways, it was, but my god those pilots are true heroes!!!

[@rstidman]

yeah, those 6 or whatever "people" that "died" - calling that a tragedy is such whining when heroics of this level were displayed.

[@iconicshrubbery]

My gawd, how you N. Americans love the word 'hero'. The pilots did their job, well, therefore saving their own lives and their living passengers'. And they were lucky above all, to remain conscious. Heroism implies self-sacrifice.

[@chitlitlah]

@@iconicshrubbery I've said that on here before. These people don't know the definition of heroism. I live in North America though, so it's not like we all have this disconnect.

[@iconicshrubbery]

'some' N.Americans😉

[@petermallm149]

They are real professionals and demonstrate peak performance when it matters, that's how I would put it. Some would like to call them heroes and that is fine by me too. Pilots not always stay that calm under pressure as they did on this 747 flight, but if one is to talk to them, You'll find out, that even on routine flights they get sometimes under various pressures without that being mentioned by all these formats here. Would be nice, if we could have some of these ''routine stress scenarios'' in this formats. so that people better understand, how pilots do their job.........

[@dwmzmm]

I remember when this happened. The crew did an extraordinary job to get the jumbo back to the airport as safely as possible. The pilot was on Ted Coppell’s Nightline and the pilot didn’t consider himself to be a hero, said he and his fellow crew mates were just doing what they were trained to do.

[@stevensteven3417]

Because thats what they are, professionals doing their job.

[@danijuggernaut]

Very calm on the radio, impressive.

[@jeromebarry1741]

Koppel and Nightline were the last good show on television. Coppell is the town near DFW where so many pilots live.

[@Jablonski87x]

What year did this happen?

[@kekaharris6618]

Survival instincts simple he wanted to live and the others got the benefit of this he didn't so becouse of people but becouse it was automatic to him to try and save him self

[@bg878]

My father worked for United and was one of the primary investigators. He was going to announce that all those particular 747s had the same design flaw. It would have immediately grounded them all. He was fired instantly and guards escorted him off the premises after having worked there with an excellent record for nearly 23 years.

[@sherylsmith4324]

What awful treatment to your father!

[@leslieadkins5774]

I hope that your father sued the airline..reprehensible thing for the airline to do...@@sherylsmith4324

[@alanmcneill2407]

This is why I will not fly United. They don't really care about people's lives. Your Dad is a very decent man, sorry that happened to him. I am sure he was shocked at their coldness.

[@charleswhite758]

To be fair, although your father was clearly well intentioned, and we are grateful for his service, it seems that everything was OK without following his advised course of action. I don't think there were any more accidents of this particular type. So the management must have done something right. To run a commercial airline the management has to make tough decisions, else they would be grounding the whole fleet on every scare. You cannot make a profit like that, and without profit there would be no commercial airliners.

[@Peter_S_]

@@charleswhite758 copied from another post: It took constant lobbying, many years, and thousands of hours of research by one of one of the passengers parents (Kevin & Susan Campbell) to get them to make that change. They found the design flaw and refused to be silenced until they were victorious and forced everyone to make changes to the door design. That young man's parents were New Zealanders, he was 24 years old and his name was Lee Campbell. He was Kevin and Susan's only child and they did this in tribute to his memory and also so that future passengers wouldn't perish as their son did. They dropped everything and came to the US to accomplish that amazing feat.

[@jc238]

Hard to imagine how anyone can stay focussed under that sort of pressure. Captain and crew were amazing.

[@WayneM1961]

Wow! I think it goes without saying not only the skill of the Captain, but his massive experience saved the day. What a thing to happen just two flights from retiring. All credit to the FO & Engineer of course, and I'm so pleased their skill was recognised with an honour. A sad loss of life, but it could so easily have been everyone on board.

[@moiraatkinson]

I wonder if he made his last flight, or quit after this one?

[@tclearinghouse]

Calm under pressure for sure. Amazing hearing the audio.

[@shawnmccorkle5059]

@@moiraatkinson was wondering same thing

[@themomentchannel3498]

@@moiraatkinson United 811 was his retirement flight

[@moiraatkinson]

@@themomentchannel3498 not according to the video. It said 811 was his “penultimate flight” before retirement. That means the last but one, second last.

[@repsolnow]

The experience and professionalism of the Captain, F/O and flight crew is what saved this from a total disaster. Well done!

[@chrisclermont456]

One similarity I've noticed in these situations is when the pilots remember to just fly the plane, people survive. When the pilots get caught up in protocol or procedures, people die. Captain Cronin and his crew, just like Captain Sullenberger in the "Miracle on the Hudson" realized quickly the seriousness of the situation and went into action without hesitation. This is why more people survived. God bless them!! RIP to the deceased!

[@suchabadkitty1293]

​@@chrisclermont456 Yep. Number one rule, dont stop flying the plane.

[@kylebieth3678]

They evacuated a full 747 in 45 seconds!? Flight crew, even hurt and terrified, kicked ass in that one

[@RobertDavis-qh1ry]

Had to be a world record! Can't blame them for making the bee line. I am never really happy when any one, or even one dies.

[@winterhaydn]

Why did it have to be so fast? They were grounded and safe. I'd think priority would be on getting the emergency passengers to medical service and keeping the rest calm as they exited. Plus, it says "every flight attendant experienced injuries during the evacuation" ... what the heck happened?

[@seansasser2575]

I was a member of the search and rescue team. We spent a couple of days at sea doing search patterns looking for the people who were sucked out of the plane.

[@fendour_]

It's not mentioned, but isn't it highly likely the reason the engines failed was from the ejected passengers being sucked into them? Unfortunately they would be in the perfect place for that to happen...

[@TheEmaile]

@@fendour_ yes, unfortunately. My dad worked this flight and was told by the captain after evacuating not to look up at engine 3. 😔

[@richbrake9910]

@@fendour_ Probably, or at least some of them.

[@willemlouw1017]

​@@TheEmaile1:08

[@user-ev1gb6de4j]

Were you in the coast guard?

[@ricpowers1475]

As a mechanic for Boeing i was a bit surprised the aircraft was repaired and recertified to fly again. But then i thought to myself, this old bird did her job even after a calamity, and got nearly all her passengers home safely ... not to minimize the ultra cool heads from the flight crew. Amazingly done.

[@KB-ke3fi]

That thing was built like my 1981 Oldsmobile 98. lol

[@kellyfulwider9357]

gotta respect the machine too. and all the mechanics that kept her in good enough repair to sustain something like this. dont forget to give it up to all mighty God as well.

[@nathanmeece9794]

Back in the day Boeing built good tough airplanes.

[@johnfranklin5277]

I've flown to Europe twice and 6 times to Hawaii on the 747. I always felt very safe in it. A beautiful aircraft, and obviously extremely well engineered, and built. Let's not forget, both AIR FORCE 1 aircraft are 747s!

[@johnfranklin5277]

@@KB-ke3fi more like my 58 cadillac!! Strong and heavy!

[@lahodal]

The fact that the airframe was able to take the damage and did not disintegrate is beyond amazing. Wasn't even a write-off.

[@YourFreeBeats]

Agreed. Testament not only to structural design, but to the pilots handling as I’m confident how they plan is handled in these situations can help minimize further damage. These passengers are all very fortunate to have survived.

[@kimchipig]

The 747 is a superbly engineered machine.

[@MisterW0lfe]

@@kimchipig well... except for the cargo doors

[@johnfranklin5277]

@@MisterW0lfe true, but at this point they were 19 years old..and if they weren't showing any issues, a sudden failure is hard to know.

[@richbrake9910]

Boeing is for real!

[@guychocensky3585]

Amazing save on the part of the crew. And hats off to the passengers that saved one who was almost sucked out of the cabin, too.

[@giselasmith7819]

Rest in peace to all of them who lost their lives that day. And to the whole crew they did a great job at staying calm as possible under a very dangerous matter . True heroes to all involved saving the lives of those that were still alive

[@bernicewahine9625]

There are many more complete reports about this accident. One report, I believe, described how the Captain made a slower emergency decent than procedures called for in the case of decompression in order to nurse his altitude and make it back to Honolulu on two engines with all that extra drag. Speaks to the Captain's experience.

[@terryofford4977]

Correct, the guys flying the Jumbos are a special kind of human, they are an integral part of the aircraft and one may only admire their coolness under pressure.

[@elmalloc]

this video failed to mention it as bernicewahine pointed out @@terryofford4977

[@DarthVader1977]

descent*

[@AkelaTheBaldEagle]

That was an unbelievable flight to watch. I can't even wrap my head around how they got back to the airport, and evacuated the rest of the cabin. Mad props to the flight crew for staying calm and professional during this. Everyone that played a part in this are heroes.

[@raven4k998]

you broke the plane you broke the plane🤣🤣🤣

[@JOpethNYC]

RIP to those lost. This could have been so much worse. Crazy structural strength of what was left of the aircraft, and awesome crew all around.

[@samuelstoner5651]

I'm glad the flight crew received recognition for their expertise during this event. It can't be easy to make the right decisions quickly under such extreme stress. If you travel by air, these are the kind of people you want manning your plane.

[@dr.doolittle4763]

Which is why we don't want DEI guiding hiring practices.

[@charleswhite758]

"Manning" you plane is the operative word. Have there been any cases yet where a female pilot has managed anything like this? It's a job for MEN

[@hirabeauty24]

*The fact that 9 passengers were never found is heartbreaking. Hoping the victims' families have a long healing process. Not knowing what happened to their loved ones and able to bury their remains. Heartbreaking.*

[@vickiweber4718]

I pray that being in high altitude knoced them unconscious before they knew what was happening.

[@YouGotPropofol]

@@vickiweber4718 nahhhh they knew.

[@5553urmuma]

I believe you mean you hope the families have a short healing process?

[@twiz1084]

We know what happened to their loved ones, they died! Do you think they might be like Tom Hanks, living on an island marooned somewhere of Hawaii? ( the film cast away) What a plum.

[@johnd5398]

Not sure why this comment needed to be in bold text... aside from the fact that the commenter has a mental disorder.

[@deliuslyndon8340]

The calmness displayed by the flight crew is astonishing.

[@ShayMac311]

Omg! My heart was pounding watching! Couldn’t imagine being on the flight. Salute to captain FO & crew, and 🙏🏾 to the families of those who perished.

[@DarthVader1977]

Watch the " Mayday" flight 811 version.

[@ShayMac311]

@@DarthVader1977 thanks! Will do!

[@DarthVader1977]

@@ShayMac311 Sorry, I meant "Wonder" Mayday S1 Ep1 flight 811. (The KZbin channel name is "Wonder").

[@paultyson4389]

The professionalism and coolness of the crew under the most extreme pressure was awesome.

[@stillystyles4303]

This guy gives us a movie every Thursday. You had me cheering for the survivors hoping they’d land safely. Amazing.

[@irvancrocs1753]

I won't be able to imagine sheer of terror the 9 passengers felt when getting blown out like that, one time you are sleeping thinking it's just another normal long flight and next this happens out of nowhere, hopefully they lost consciousness immediately, i would be traumatized if i see that happen to people in front of my eyes. Salute for the captain and the crews to keep their cool and put down the big bird safely..!

[@nervousboy1111]

someone in the comments said that in a documentary on this, they found human remains in the engine... that means people were blown into an engine and chopped to thousands of bits alive... truly gruesome.

[@zygotezygotten6485]

@@nervousboy1111 It happened so fast that they probably were not actually aware of what was happening, assuming they were even still conscious.

[@jonathanedwards1026]

I'd literally piss myself if a few rows in front of me, bodies just start flying out of the plane.

[@nomaan1978]

@@nervousboy1111 yikes! Those engine blades scare me. 😱

[@dellalyn9918]

@@nomaan1978 They should...

[@teresayang6945]

Pilots response being so calm is incredible and it helps passengers as well.

[@earthmother1917]

What an amazing story. I remember seeing the plane in news stories. There were people in their seats that could look into the sky. Such strength and character of the flight crew. My heart still goes out to the passengers that lost their lives and to all their loved ones that are still grieving.

[@avrevs]

Wow what a determined flight crew! Their voices barely showed any stress. Incredible focus in a terrible situation. Those other passengers were lucky to have that kind of experienced crew in the cockpit!

[@HousedHorse]

The entire flight crew and the flight attendants are all heroes. I actually cried a little bit when the plane landed. RIP to the victims.

[@prosay]

I see that I am not the only softy. Thank God for those who were saved.

[@sandratripp1997]

😪😢

[@michaeld2519]

​@@prosay No, God had nothing to do with it. If you believe God did, what about the 9 who weren't saved? They weren't worthy? What about the thousands of persons who have died in other airline disasters - God wasn't bothered with them? How about the hundreds of thousands of victims in other accidents, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, etc. God has no hand in it, as much as people like to believe that.

[@kennethmanning1821]

@@michaeld2519 why they didn't get saved what happened?

[@michaeld2519]

@@kennethmanning1821 What are you asking? Please rephrase your question.

[@michaelodonnell851]

Extraordinary airmanship. As a retired Licensed Aircraft Engineer I remember this incident and the aftermath. People don't realize the tons of pressure differential placed on large cargo doors. 1 square foot of cargo door with the aircraft at cruising altitude will have 800-1000 lbs of internal pressure trying to open it. The cargo doors have well over 100 square feet of surface area. That's many tons of internal pressure trying to open the door to ambient pressure.

[@allinaday9882]

From someone who flew on prop planes around the world, the professional cool of pilots and crew is honestly awesome and absolutely the norm of the many flights I was privileged to fly. They are all heroes, ready to serve. Thank you.

[@GeneralSeptem]

Of all the things that can go wrong on a plane, I have to say this is actually the most horrifying.

[@irvancrocs1753]

TWA flight 800 the first thing came out into my mind with similar case like this, tho i would say fire in the cabin or losing all hydraulics are also equally horrifying..

[@iconicshrubbery]

@@irvancrocs1753 no,....snakes..!

[@DeepRedBlue]

Surelyjapan 123…

[@brucestorey3400]

I dunno.One of my nightmare scenarios is an inverted 45 degree high speed plummet from 35,000 feet? Nonetheless, super perfomance by the flight and cabin crew.

[@gusm5128]

That was friendly fire

[@yiuqwfj]

When I read the title "...breaks up after takeoff, falling apart..." I expected a hull loss, but I'm pleasantly surprised that it turned out differently. This story is nothing short of a miracle!

[@RSTI191]

"Miracle". Divine intervention of sort?

[@willischang6956]

I live in Hawaii and I remember this event. Thank you for such a great job retelling this amazing story and how well engineered the 747 is to be able to withstand such catastrophic damage.

[@MrSahansdal]

Most of it, anyway....

[@Memoriesinseconds]

🤔 Its bad engineering caused the damage in the first place

[@fruitygranulizer540]

​@@Memoriesinsecondsim assuming they spent all their good engineers designing the hull and structural components. its incredible that it was able to withstand missing an entire chunk of the plane. the task of designing the door latches was probably passed down to junior engineers. there was also an example of a 737 that was able to fly and land with an even bigger chunk missing from the top of the plane. the only casualty was a flight attendant that wasn't in their seat so got sucked out. there are INCREDIBLE pictures of it online look up Aloha Airlines Flight 243. i still cannot believe the nose of that plane didnt crumple down and break off... or that it was even able to withstand the forces of landing at all.

[@jdgoesham5381]

Amazing captain. His demeanor on the radio shows how cool and competent and confident in his skills he is. RIP to all lost. What a really horrific way to go. Really.

[@JukeboxBalowski]

Forget all the basketball players, baseball players, football players, rock stars, and actors. Here's a story about some TRUE heroes!

[@belindaspechtenhauser6621]

Exactly!!!!

[@donaldteuber8588]

Well stated.

[@everwaverly]

Yes I agree

[@maureenkirby1207]

I've always felt that heroism was often attributed to the wrong people as in sports celebrities etc. It's in a situation like this one where heroes truly shine.

[@dishdog215]

Forget Dan Roundfield, Roberto Clemente, Joe Delaney, Kirsty MacColl, and Naya Rivera !!!

[@justjames1111]

The Skill of the Pilots and Ability to Stay Calm in an Emergency is simply Staggering, the tragic loss of life but the saving of hundreds is something they should be remembered for.

[@elaineanderson4966]

These pilots were so calm, professional knowledgeable and brave. Hats off to them they did a marvellous job of landing this plane.

[@jodex611]

I never cease to admire the calmness and strict professionality of pilots. Without exact knowledge of what is going on and their lives in danger, they seem to have this nearly supernatural ability to keep everything cool. Hats off.

[@Powerranger-le4up]

It’s hard to blame Boeing for this design flaw. Their locking design was a good and almost foolproof design and much better than McDonnell Douglas’. Then something like this happens and it turns out, it’s just not enough. However, I’m glad they changed the locking system so that it doesn’t happen again. Bravo to Lee Campbell’s parents for finding the cause.

[@andrewputnam3]

My grandma and grandpa were on this flight they still have newspaper clippings and everything from it my Grandpa got dementia in aged early because of the shock and trauma he went through on this flight probably caused him to die earlier than he would have as well thank you to the pilot I still spend time with my grandparents my grandma passed away at 102 years old

[@coronnation8854]

I don't know of any correlation between dementia amd trauma. Is that an assumption, or do you know of any research?

[@ruthdanielson919]

Trauma after Trauma over a lifetime, and especially such a significant Trauma, has to be debilitating. Most difficult to overcome, but am sure he reached deep inside and in G~d's hands did his best.

[@beverlyjohnson5315]

@Karl with a K maybe not. But can you imagine being on that flight and all that happened and living through it. How it affects a person's brain as each of us is different do we have the answer?

[@jackiemargaret437]

@Karl with a K ...such an experience can destroy the body and mind over time.

[@stuartsiglain3972]

@@ruthdanielson919 Why G-d ???

[@omcbob37]

Great piece of flying and situation management by this flight crew. Hell of a way for the captain to close out his career but in an emergency like this one, nothing beats experience in the seat.

[@charleswhite758]

it was his "pen-ultimate" flight, so he had one more to do. I hope the management excused him that duty

[@kathyh4804]

Kudos to Captain Kronin and his co pilot and the other staff! I can’t believe how calm he sounded radioing the Tower! It’s extremely sad the missing passengers were never found. Rest In Peace

[@mohabatkhanmalak1161]

This story came up in a documentary here in New Zealand about a decade or so ago. There was an engineer who here who, if I remember correctly, had a son onboard who was one of those who lost their lives. The engineer was not satisfied with the report and he did his own independant research untill the cause - the faulty lock design - was found.

[@shepardbook]

I believe I’ve seen that documentary. The couple who lost their son spent a lot of their time and money on their own investigation. It’s painful to think the FAA and the NTSB were going to blame the ground crew for the incident. Had they not gotten hold on some documentation that wasn’t part of a hearing, we might not have known…until/unless it happened again.

[@cripejl0]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3OyiIRvfsmIha8 that's the documentary

[@northernsoutherngirl]

Man, another nail biting video!😳 Shout out to Captain Cronin for remaining calm as hell during that whole fiasco & being able save the remaining passengers & crew. Jeez Louise that was another horrible situation that could've been even worse had the explosion happened further out at sea.

[@williamdavidcraigjr7841]

Excellent how the flight attendants were able to get people out of the plane in less than 90 seconds

[@weeksworks2521]

I bet getting them out of the plane wasn't the hard part; getting them out of the plane without trampling each other to death in a stampede is what likely required skill.

[@anthonygrizzly6924]

Thank you for the awesome and respectful recreation. RIP to the fallen and beers for the hero pilots. 💪

[@BigDaddy_MRI]

Pure stick and rudder, calm and laser focused pilots and the superb engineering of the aircraft and its ability to maintain the ability to continue flying… what an amazing feat these incredible pilots to bring this crippled aircraft back to earth. And the cabin crew’s competent and controlled way of safely evacuating the passengers in such a quick and orderly way is a testament to their cool heads and training. No matter how well a machine is designed and built, flaws will be inherent. I hope those who perished will Rest in Peace and the families will find comfort in their precious memories of those lost. Thank you for an outstanding video!

[@sue8522]

Hats off to the crews of the airplane. Calm and compose. Not anyone can do that when facing adversity. Job well done! And my condolences to those who have passed that eventful day. 😔

[@motleymama6587]

Wow, those pilots remained calm and in control the whole time! Amazed that they were able to land successfully. Hero’s🙏🏻

[@cindytartt4048]

What an absolute shock! I can’t imagine the terror these people endured, but as a subscriber for a long time, this is, to me, the best you’ve ever done: from the audio to the different music, the black and white shots at the end, to the airport lighting and your explanations: thank you Flight Channel. ❤

[@riogrande5761]

Wow, it surprised me that this 747 was able to be repaired and put back into service having had that much damage. In most incidents with a lot of damage, the aircraft is written off.

[@moiraatkinson]

Yes, that surprised me too. I don’t think I’d have been too keen to fly in it!

[@pomerau]

I mentioned I thought it was also disrespectful to put passengers where those were lost. Make it a freighter, though it wouldn't have been viable with it's age, or scrap it. Penny pinching at it's worst.

[@watershed44]

@@pomerau Bingo friend. I can see them converting this into a freighter/cargo plane but it should have NEVER been put back into commercial service ever again, I would have gone after Boeing and United for doing so and embarrassed the heck out of the companies until they withdrew it.

[@pomerau]

@@watershed44 Yep. I wonder what the reactions were at the time, although they may have successfully camouflaged the whole thing (new tail number = different plane) and most nobody knew for a long while.

[@johnfranklin5277]

Your missing one thing....this aircraft was never in another incident, it continued to serve until its retirement . I wouldn't have been afraid to fly on it, because it proved how very strong and able to survive such horrible forces, and continue to fly. Plus, Boeing would not have taken any chances putting the aircraft back into service unless they were absolutely sure it was 100 % airworthy and safe.

[@izzy9132]

That was an excellent presentation of that horrific incident. I recalled this occurring but to learn every detail this way it will now be imprinted in my memory. Sad for the families who lost loved ones but miraculous that the pilot and crew were able to bring all the rest back safely.

[@toriless]

1989, see this a lot with these type of videos, how many millions (over 2) of flights to Honolulu have happened since. I find that calming.

[@drayner2517]

If it wasn’t for one of the deceased passenger’s parents investigating this thoroughly, then the report would never have been reopened and the issue resolved.

[@ianmangham4570]

True

[@AUmarcus]

That was the parents of passenger Lee Campbell....the NZer killed in the incident.

[@CircumstancesNeverMatter]

It’s a shame about the coverup

[@ZZ-zj4ky]

B.S.

[@peonypink9149]

@@ZZ-zj4kyit’s not BS. His parents were absolutely tireless in pursuing United and Boeing re: a dangerous flaw in the design which allowed the latches to open so the door could blow off then the wiring short-circuited. The father was an engineer and made it his single-minded mission to find out why his son had died. My recollection is that with the latches redesigned, if there was a short-circuit the air pressure would hold the door in place. Neither United or Boeing wanted to know about this initially. The father refused to let up and finally it was acknowledged and the latch design of was changed.

[@tt14life90]

Crazy that plane didn't come apart. Shows how strong they really are. RIP. 🙏

[@RicondaRacing]

Hats off the the flight crews actions. They saved many lives that day.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

Former Boeing Everett.... Jumbos are born here. The 747 is a tough bird. Even after major damage and loss of 2 engines, it was still able to return and safely land at the airport. The 9 souls lost is tragic, they way they died is even more tragic. It could have turned out a lot worse than it did. Crew in flight deck and cabin crew did a wonderful and very professional job under dire conditions.

[@mookie2637]

The cargo door was badly designed by Boeing, who subsequently tried to cover up the causes.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@@mookie2637 Thanks for comment. Door latch was redesigned to prevent this from happening again. I totally forgot about this accident. Floor in passenger compartment was pushed down due to differences in air pressure. Cargo bay lost pressure when door flew open. Higher pressure in cabin pushed floor down complete with seats holding passengers. They were probably alive as they fell. No bodies ever recovered in middle of ocean mid flight.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@Karl with a K Hope they survived, one heck of a way to exit an aircraft. Most people just wait for it to land first.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@Karl with a K There was a Ukrainian flight attendant in the 70's or 80's that survived a 30,000 foot plunge, but she was still in the plane. Rescue workers found her a day after plane crashed. She never returned to work for airlines again.

[@SJR_Media_Group]

@Karl with a K No kidding, she doesn't even do interviews about incident anymore.

[@willettej7988]

Tears for those who perished. And the crew stayed focused, calm and solved the problem. What a miracle!

[@kevinmulcahy3846]

My wife and I were on that same plane in December 1988 on our way back to Sydney via Auckland. When I read about it in the papers it sent shivers up my spine. The crew did a great job , for sure.

[@gilessb]

This accident really gets to me, for some reason. So sad for the families of the nine who died, never finding their bodies or knowing exactly what happened. Hopefully, hypoxia took them swiftly rather than a 4-minute fall to the ocean in the cold darkness - what an awful way to go.

[@rubeniltonfilho9398]

they found humans remains inside the engines 3 and 4. So at least two peoples were sucked in

[@richardjones3792]

​@karlwithak.Idiot

[@AviationGuy787]

Honestly this is a great example of not panicking. It would be perfectly normal for every Pilot, no matter the experience, to panic in this situation. Obviously, every pilot’s anxiety would increase when they realised they have no oxygen. But they just got on and started descending. Another example of remaining calm is when the Flight Engineer went out to see what had happened. Just imagine going out of the flight deck and seeing a huge hole ripped in the plane. Same with the flight attendants. Also it’s absolutely shocking how you can evacuate about 345 people out of a 747 in only 45 seconds. It’s just a miracle. In memory of the 9 people who lost their lives on United Airlines Flight 811. ❤

[@finders-keepers1518]

It's amazing to me how calm and collected these crews can remain while under extreme pressure and with so much on the line.

[@Nyxiality]

This is an absolutley incredible story and still gives me goosebumps. Its one of those things that you'd love to experience, just because its so unbelieveable, but also that you don't want to experience because of the fear of dying.

[@restojon1]

Wowsers! If anyone was ever in doubt of the abilities of the 747 to stay in the sky even when mortally wounded, they need to see this. They don't call her The Queen for nothing... I hope that the families of those who were lost found peace in their times of bereavement.

[@bg878]

Actually, they call her "Fat Alberts" at least the mechanic crews did.

[@TheRochester45]

Hero pilots kept their cool, and brought that large plane, with all of its damage, to a landing. Sad for the loss of life, as their family’s will always miss their loved-ones lost at sea!

[@nicolelane4551]

Wow. What an amazing story. It's horrible that lives were lost, but due to these to Pilots and the other flight crew many more lives were saved. Such a truly touching event.

[@texn14]

I was on a destroyer out of Pearl when this happened. We were out on local Ops and they called us to assist with the search. Of course we didn't see anything related to the plane after about a day or so of looking. I remember seeing the plane as we passed the airport on the way back in with that big hole in the side. I believe one of our minesweepers or recovery ships found some of the wreckage.

[@daftvader4218]

Amazing flying by Capt David Cronin and his crew. Only two engines on the same side...Hardly any landing flaps... Overweight. .. Shows the aeronautical and structural integrity of the B747. They have completely redesigned these doors...thank goodness.

[@kumi9479]

The extent of damage these things can take and still manage to fly is amazing

[@kumi9479]

@@3338MAN 🤣🤣

[@Stevel_]

SO happy this one ended well for those on board not initially sucked out of the aircraft....must have been a terrifying 14 minutes.

[@maxxitee4761]

They both were experienced pilots at the time of the incident…they all did great including those who assisted in the research that has transformed the industry and to this day keeps us safe. Truly sorry that lives were lost. Plane tragedies are by far still the worst kind for me to deal with

[@naturelovinjenn7223]

I'm sitting here clapping and crying. Congratulations to those men landing that plane and staying so calm. True heros.

[@gregorypalmer5403]

I am in utter awe of how calm , cool, collected, these brave men women are.

[@ChannelForty2]

I gotta say, I'm extremely impressed with the crew, staying calm like that and bringing them back in. Pretty amazing stuff!

[@crisprtalk6963]

Captain has nerves of steel.

[@Bobrogers99]

That might have been a mortal blow to a lesser plane, but the Queen of the Skies made it back! There was a tragic loss of lives, but it could have been so much worse. Kudos to the pilots!

[@jasonhenderson3678]

Another great vid! The dialog is amazing, love these guys thank you very much

[@techcarmusicgunlover007]

From the title breaks up I thought it was all over for them! So glad that a majority of the passengers and crew lived. RIP to the unfortunate 9 people that lost their lives.

[@lisanetgark415]

I am an RN. I worked at a hospital in Honolulu at the time of this accident. We had injured passengers admitted to the hospital. The were freaked out!!! They were sedated throughout their stay. Accounts of what they saw and went through was scary. One patient, who was in coach, was dragged up the aisle towards first class. People tried to grab him ask he was being sucked out of the airplane. He said he tried to grab the bottom of the seats but force was just too strong and would continuously lose his grip. The pressure equalized 5 rows before the opening. We would fly outer island and would fly over that parked plane. It was there for quite some. Great pilots for getting that pup back to Honolulu!

[@JasonFlorida]

I have been subscribed to this channel for many years now and the quality is absolutely amazing! I never knew about this accident and the way you show it feels like I am there firsthand. Thank you so much for providing such great enlightening videos for us all!

[@mango8918]

When you see a catastrophic failure such as this and the plane is still flying, it gives a great deal of reassurance in just how well they are built and capable of flying. Together with capable, well-trained pilots, survival at all is remarkable.

[@ligeiasinistra879]

One hell of a plane the 747. And hell of a pilots... Cool, calm, collected.

[@LilyKittyCatto]

those pilots are absolute heroes, they saved the lives of so many people. rip to those who sadly died

[@stevensteven3417]

They did their job, calm and professional.

[@myronbledsoe44]

Everyone who does their job is a hero? I assure you they didn't look at it like that.... People like to label people for their own convenience..

[@LilyKittyCatto]

@@myronbledsoe44 not sure how everyones job involves what the pilots did... but ok go off i guess

[@DomeDweller]

What a set of balls on that crew. May they rest in peace.

[@ernestkovach3305]

It's so nice to see a rare overall happy ending or result on Flight Channel! Thank you, sir.

[@grandmasadvice4791]

I’m amazed the pilot sounds so calm.

[@Violet-im6ek8pf9o]

The flight crew did exceptionally well 👍 RIP to those who perished.

[@richardfurlow1063]

I can relate to this incident VERY well!! For my birthday, my dad paid for him,my brother, his roommate and I to fly to Auckland, then on to Sydney, Aus. vacation. We were booked on flight 811 starting in SFO to LAX, then to Auckland with a stopover in Honolulu. There was only one 811 flight a day United had. My brother's roommate was planning on flying to Honolulu on this very flight, then catching up to us on the next flight, but for some reason couldn't. I recall prior to leaving HNL, the ground crew took QUITE a long time double and triple checking all of the doors prior to pushing from the gate. Once in the air, they had 2 "dedicated " attendants going back & forth up and down the aisles whose sole purpose was to hand out FREE liquor cordials to everyone! Believe me, by the time we hit our cruising altitude, we were feeling NO pain! Our seats were like 1 row behind where the side was blown out in business class.

[@zaram131]

Wow!

[@njsarn]

Thanks for putting this together. Although those 10 passengers perished, at least there was a positive ending to uplift hearts.

[@marionmarino1616]

O god I certainly admire how the pilot and others were able to stay so calm.

[@scottyjohnson3120]

The pilots are studs! It's amazing how calm they always are. I'd be terrified!

[@MB-hc2xw]

What a terrifying experience. I remember reading that during the investigation they found pieces of human remains and clothing in one of the engines. One minute sitting in business class... the next... RIP.

[@barakatshahkhan3176]

Sad truth of life, it's unpredictable 😔

[@timonsolus]

"Multiple small body fragments and pieces of clothing were found in the Number 3 engine, indicating that at least one victim ejected from the fuselage was ingested by the engine, but whether the fragments were from one or more victims was not known."

[@DaveDepilot-KFRG]

@@timonsolus honestly, if given a choice between going into the engine or falling 23,000 feet, i'd take the engine. it's a lose-lose.

[@novaangle2183]

@@DaveDepilot-KFRG It would be quicker wouldn't it... Ugh so terrible.

[@TheFish2125]

@@DaveDepilot-KFRG Agreed. Falling from that altitude leaves a long time to think about what's about to happen. At least the engine is instant.

[@philipnoonan4721]

Thank you. Your video made me remember this so well. My best friend and I were planning our around the world backpacking adventure for July of that year, starting from Melbourne to Honolulu. We made it safe and had epic travels. RIP to the nine souls on board.

[@kellyfulwider9357]

absolutely amazing job. hats off to the pilots and crew. saved a lot of souls that day