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This day in airline history – July 19
We have a new feature on AirlinersGallery.com photo library called “This day in airline history”. Today we remember the tragic accident at Sioux City, IA (click the link for more details):
![](<a href="https://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-USA6/United-Airlines-historic/i-cs4LZ5k/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Airlines-USA6/United-Airlines-historic/i-cs4LZ5k/0/NDRXCknwWbGLsZVqwvTWTdrswbRDCBLdc26tgNrm8/M/United%20DC-10-10%20N1819U%20%2888%29%28Grd%29%20EWR%20%28AJS-RRC%29%2846%29-M.jpg" alt="United flight UA232 on July 19, 1989 from DEN - ORD diverted and crash landed at Sioux City, IA, after suffering a failure of its #2 engine due to an unnoticed manufacturing defect in the engine's fan disk, which resulted in the loss of all flight controls. Of the 296 passengers and crew on board, 112 died during the attempted landing, 184 survived. More details: United Airlines flight 232 was a scheduled passenger flight operated with a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10, the pictured N1819U, that experienced a catastrophic in-flight emergency on July 19, 1989. En route from Denver to Chicago (ORD), the aircraft suffered an uncontained failure of its tail-mounted number two engine. Debris from the disintegrating fan disk severed all three of the aircraft's hydraulic systems—rendering conventional flight controls inoperable. This complete loss of hydraulics left the crew with no ability to control the airplane using standard control surfaces. Despite the unprecedented mechanical failure, Captain Al Haynes, First Officer William Records, Flight Engineer Dudley Dvorak, and a check airman, Dennis Fitch—who happened to be aboard—worked together using asymmetric thrust from the remaining engines to maneuver the aircraft. Their ingenuity and cooperation enabled the crippled DC-10 to reach Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa, where they attempted an emergency landing. As the aircraft descended, it was largely uncontrollable in roll and pitch, resulting in a high-sink-rate landing. Upon touchdown, the aircraft cartwheeled, broke apart, and caught fire. Of the 296 people on board, 185 survived and 111 lost their lives. While tragic, the survival rate was considered remarkable given the extent of the damage and loss of control. Flight 232 became a landmark case in aviation history, prompting reevaluation of aircraft system redundancies and contributing to improvements in crew resource management (CRM). The professionalism and coordination demonstrated by the flight crew were widely praised, and the event remains a vital reference point for training and aircraft design."></a>)