The Explosion on American Airlines Flight 96
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- čas přidán 7. 10. 2018
- Everything seemed normal on the second leg of American Airlines Fight 96, June 12, 1972. Captain Bryce McCormick sat back to take a sip of coffee and admire the view. Then, suddenly, the airplane was rocked by an explosion.
The episode is intended for educational purposes. All events are portrayed in historical context. No graphic depictions of violence are depicted.
The History Guy uses media that are in the public domain. As photographs of actual events are sometimes not available, photographs of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Because a pilot was skeptical about the lack of redundancy, he trained himself to fly the airplane in a nonstandard method. He was a credit to the wings he wore upon his blouse.
I believe “Oh Shit” is the proper exclamation for that situation.
The NTSB censors their final cockpit voice recorder transcripts, but apparently, those are the most common final words found on CVR tapes during crash investigations.
rdfox76 I can only imagine why :)
In helicopter aviation, the term used is"Oh Shit, O Dear"
I wonder if that would have helped.....
I use that expression quite frequently in life. Probably too often. LOL
Data, himself, couldn't have said it better.
I was employed by AA for over 29 years and especially during the time when this event happened. We (the employees in general) were never told any details of this near catastrophe. Thank you very much for this snipped of history. It's guys like you that make guys like me a little smarter with each historical video.
Wow, I bet that won't happen twice
- some guy at McDonnell Douglas
.....well, it wont happen three times.
One of the central tenets of the ISO 9000 series manufacturing certifications is consistency. If a failure appears, it will be uniform and can be dealt with en masse. That is a sobering consideration for safety critical systems - to be better, there has to be an expectation of widespread failures. The same recognition flaw that recently caused the Uber automated vehicle to kill a woman walking her bicycle across the street - reportedly, the recognition module didn't know what a pedestrian walking a bicycle was or if it should evade - would uniformly hit all pedestrians walking bicycles that were in its path.
I think that guy also designed the failure prone non-redundant screw that controlled the elevators on the DC-9. That was only 'fixed' by requiring more frequent inspections/maintenance.
You can’t force people to maintain their aircraft correctly.
ISO 9000 means jack shit once your product leaves the factory.
Bad maintenance will destroy any aircraft... the jackscrew on the MD-80 was not unique and all will fail with incorrect grease and poor inspections.
@Bartonovich - That's for bloody damned sure. Just look at American Airlines Flight 191 that went down at ORD in 1979. Faulty maintenance practices (coupled with an incredible design flaw) led to the worst possible outcome.
Flying is hours and hours of boredom sprinkled with a few seconds of sheer terror.
Pappy Boyington
Yupper, a lot of professions use that line! I worked in a few.. :)
Speaking as a pilot, there's a lot of truth to that........
Especially in sim sessions.
@@rrknl5187 I don't know many pilots, but the ones I *do* know all swear by Pappy's statement. They also say that the pilot you want to fly with is the one who has had an emergency landing -- that pilot has proved their skill and is generally more cautious than ever.
@@haplessasshole9615 I've always been pretty cautious and don't take many chances but I still remember my first emergency landing and especially that it taught me that anything can happen at any time.
Bryce was a genius. Who could’ve thought so quickly in such a small amount of time? The second pilot was amazing too
Its weird how you use the Captains first name like you knew him 😄
@@NovejSpeed3 You don't know Bryce?
Thank you for your great content, As an aircraft engineer I really enjoy your aviation videos, but am also a ww2 buff. One of the most informative channels on CZcams, and no major ego or arrogance involved. Keep the history alive!
Thank you.
Amen to that.
underwaterdick the design of the DC-10 was rushed, inadequate, & mediocre. It was overall an unsafe aircraft,. Ohare is a vivid memory with a failed engine bolt separating the engine separating entirely. As a result, everyone died. I am an aviation enthusiast and a former aircraft mechanic.
@@TunTavernWarrior2 The Edsel was also rushed into production. Its consequences weren't nearly as dire. This analogy has similarities.
I too love aviation and history, check out the following 3 smaller CZcams channels.
"Ed Nash's Military Maters " & "Rex's Hanger" are 2 similar channels covering forgotten or less famous aircraft. With solid research, excellent writing, editing and narration, these 15 minute videos are great a look at obscure and unique aircrat.
My favorite channel is "Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles", where Greg, a current commercial airline pilot, does deep dives on aircrafts, engines, design, performance, etc, of Military fighters and a few bombers. He also has covered automobiles and the common theme , superchargersturbo-superchargers , manifold pressure, powerbands at different altitudes etc.
The videos are extremely detailed, well researched using technical manuals, scientific studies, NACA reports and uses charts, tables etc. Of course, with that level of detail comes a longer video. As an example, when he covered the P47 Thunderbolt, he did 10 videos with an average run time of 50 minutes.
So, if these channel descriptions pique your curiosity give them a try as they really deserve a larger audience. Have a great day]
Aviation is a very reliable activity; we haven't left one up there yet.
Jim's videos ....ahaaha...GOOD ONE!🤗😉🤣😂😁🗼🗽🗼🗽🗼🗽🚅🚄✈🛩🛫🛬💺🚀🛰🌠🌝🌚🌬
Use of emojis reveal something about the person...
They can always get you to the scene of the crash.
@@phapnui that they use emojis
@Ty T Ha, ha. Excellent. But 22?
I love the aviation history vids... I'm an instructor at an aviation maintenance school and I show my students your aviation related videos. These awesome videos you make put things into perspective about why we do what we do in aviation.. Thank you... Keep up the great work!!!
this is called "tombstone technology", repairs n modifications only deemed necessary AFTER a sufficient number of deaths.
Not just a sufficient number of dead bodies, but massive lawsuits that come with them.
@@mach6893 even before the age of lawsuits, it hurts repeat business and word-of-mouth promotion if you've killed your customers - it's just practical.
💲💲💲
@jim ewok jim, what is meant by gentleman's agreement?
@@shermankelly9062 generally, it's a non-official but understood and agreed upon standard during a contest, competition, or conflict that all will abide by because they are gentlemen - often without even needing to be said out loud. it's like "honor among thieves," or "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but classier.
as a DC-10 mechanic for 30+ years, and now MD-10 and MD11 avionics tech, im familiar with the aircraft. the bulk door has been a problem for years.
no L-1011? Pretty plane :-)
sparky obrian wow
I remember this flight, but I thank you for telling the story in a way that is educational, not trashing everyone and everything. I also remember a flight I was on, leaving Portland International (PDX) in the late 80's. I traveled by airlines several times a week, so to keep myself from being bored out of my mind, I sat in my seat at the window and pretended to be the pilot as we started our takeoff run. I flew so much, I knew what landmark would signal the command, "Rotate", which means, "lift the nose up. But on this night, the heavens emptied on the runway and I noticed that from the start of the run, the aircraft seemed to be sluggish. As we hit the "normal" "rotate" landmark, we were still stuck to the runway, even after I whispered to myself, "rotate". Then we passed the second and then the third landmark and although I announced to myself "rotate" at each landmark, still the aircraft ran down the runway. Suddenly there was a loud "BANG" and immediately the aircraft turned the better part of 90 degrees, but the trajectory was still almost down the center-line of the runway. Damn glad the pilot took my advise! The pilots stood on the breaks, while at the same time reversing the engines almost 100%... but still we continued to skid towards THE END OF THE RUNWAY!!! I suggested they deploy the anchor, but they ignored me. I knew we had little runway left, but the engines were still in full reverse and we could hear the tires screaming... and the smell of burnt rubber. None of the passengers yelled or screamed, but we collectively sucked every ounce of oxygen out of that fuselage.... just in case of fire I observed. We finally came to a stop with the blue apron lights almost under me. No runway left and you could hear a needle drop in Boston. My fellow passengers continued to hold their collect breaths.. most of them were purple.. when a too calm Captain spoke over the intercom to us. In a heavy southern drawl he announced, " Ladies & gentlemen, as y'all are aware, we didn't exactly take off like normal, cause we blew a thingy ma jig in one of our engines. As the result, we'll be returning to the terminal for repairs, which will take an hour or two. Y'all can deboard and ifin y'all want to continue this flight after the repairs are finished, well heck, we appreciate y'alls trust. Those that have had too much excitement, your tickets will be refunded. For those traveling on, this would be a good time to do what your flight crew will be doin.. changin our underwear". 300 passengers and flight crew exploded with laughter..... and every single passenger returned on this flight to Anchorage Alaska. as for another topic for the History Guy, how about the history of the WWII "Red Ball Express". Thanks.. keep up the great history videos.
Nice story. Probably fake, but entertaining nonetheless
If I were one of those passengers, I'd tell the agent to make sure I get aboard whichever plane that particular pilot is flying.
Totally true story, sorry.
Just a little FYI, the engines don't actually go into "reverse". There is a function called "Reverse Thrust" but it is merely the normal thrust being re-directed forward instead of aft. There have been instances on other makes/models where the thrust reversers didn't open in sync and caused an assymetric thrust condition which can cause the aircraft to veer hard to one side.
Genesis1313 great story, nicely told. Thanks.
The captain saved everyone only to die in a car crash so sad.
etjason1 Well, it was 25 years later after all so he'd had time to live a hopefully full life.
Final destination (delayed)
RIP Captain Bryce McCormick
Lots of people lead extraordinary lives only to loose them through the ordinary .
The nature of the beast.
Tragically ironic.
One of the first civil MedVac pioliots died in the skys of Los Angeles... He learned to get victims to the hospital as a GI in the killing fields of Nam.
You do an exceptional job hosting a history show.
I really appreciate how you narrate without using
“jump cuts” which are so overused these days.
Please don’t resort to using jump cuts. Your vids are special and enjoyable.
It actually takes skill to make a video without jump cuts. I appreciate your skill as a true narrator.
Thank you and subscribed.
As a broadcast engineer, I second your request.
As a former TV news and documentary producer, I third the request.
OK, Tough guy! I will see ya' and raise ya' a slightly used Kyron :) I 4th the request! lol
As a former Direct Marketer, good comand and control of your voice is a great tool to have, in order to keep your audience engaged. I do not know what "jump cuts" are, but I agree that he should maintain his style of narrating.
As a video creator myself I can say that it is very difficult to memorize and dictate long strings of complex information a.) Without obvious us of notes or teleprompting, b) without many many "takes" or use of "jump cuts" to merge two acceptable footage clips an/or c) all while presenting in an appealing fashion.
Usually I resort to jump cuts with auxiliary footage covering the cut.
I can attest to the fact that history guy clearly is very good at presenting long strings of info in a seamless fashion
McCormick and his crew are some of least celebrated heroes in aviation history. So glad you made this video, well done!
I’m very familiar with this incident and this is as good a summary as I have ever seen. Great job. If anyone really wanted to take a deep dive into this I’d recommend the book “The Last Nine Minutes: The Story of Flight 981”
by Moira Johnston.
another good book about the DC-10 is "Destination Disaster" by Paul Eddy 197.....it would seem at least a few people knew early on about the crappy cargo door`s & the pinching or cutting of the control lines caused when the floor caved in on them.....for myself, and myself alone. I will never fly again........but I`m an old dude & have traveled far & wide.......but for the rest of my days I`m taking the train,driving or hiking.......great job by the crew to get this thing back down on the ground........peace,pj
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@Mister Ed Is that a pic of the History Guy on the wall? Look at the hair line.
For your next aviation topic, you should talk about the Airstan incident. In 1995, a Russian cargo plane was intercepted by the Taliban and was forced to land, the Russian crew were held captive. In 1996, the Russian crew managed to escape flying out on their cargo plane to safety away from the Taliban.
They planned their escape during their captivity and the reason their plan succeeded was because they had access to their plane to do maintenance to prepare their escape.
The movie 'Kandahar' was based on that incident
Great suggestion!
For anyone searching for this movie and confused by seeing a Bollywood movie show up instead, the title of the Russian movie is::"Kandagar" (2010), spelled with a 'g' instead of an 'h'.
My wife and I really enjoy your excellent videos and find them refreshing from the excessive commercials on TV programs. I particularly enjoy information you often provide which was to some extent omitted from other sources I have viewed. I also appreciate you bringing all of the info which is pertinent to your videos including the technical details.
Another very interesting flight was Eastern's 212 flight from Charleston, SC to Charlotte, NC on September 11th 1974. The DC 9 flight was on approach to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in instrument conditions do to heavy ground fog. The pilot and co pilot had been clowning around in the cockpit discussing politics and cracking jokes when they should have been keenly focused on their instruments. That approach, even in 1974, should have been a routine which pilots deal with often. Not to mention all of the simulator time they are required to have each year where they are tested on their skills to land in instrument conditions. Even back then, there was a procedure for a missed approach where the aircraft would climb back up and make a turn to get back in the pattern for another approach. This did happen in those days but most of the time the pilot was able to land on the first shot.
The NTSB ruled the crew was NOT aware of their position and were distracted with cockpit chatter at the time of the crash. A quick glance of the altimeter would have let them know they were dangerously low.
One good thing that came from this tragedy was a new ruling called the Sterile cockpit rules, These required the flight crew during take off and landing to limit their conversation to ONLY what is needed at the time.
This ruling was cast into concrete and until the day when R2D2 is flying our commercial airlines will be in effect. It is my understanding the cockpit voice recorders are reviewed for compliance. I don't expect every recording is checked but it is alway an option.
Again, thank you for your service to the preservation of unbiased History.
BTW, Our oldest daughter is a history teacher in Greenville, SC. I tell her the problem with history is it gets longer every second...LOL
Thank you for yet another amazing yet sad lesson. It's such a tragedy that almost 400 lives were lost before there were mandatory changes made to the planes to correct the issue. Your lessons are one of only a few reasons I reach for this stupid smartphone of mine. Thank you for making it all worthwhile. God bless you, History Guy.
Death drives a DC-10!
I've flown on them many times from Chicago to LA, and I was in Chicago when the engine fell off Flight 191.
That was a maintenance issue not the fault of the DC-10 itself
Another great video - I always enjoy your work.
I have a Jet and Rockets final I'm supposed to be studying for. But THG videos always take precedence.
Your style and delivery without bias or judgment is so original, thank you for these interesting little snippets and especially for wearing a bow tie.
Love the eclectic mix of stories HG .
Thank you from over the pond.
Thanks for the vid Lance
As a 27 year airline pilot for Delta, my grandfather flew both the DC-10 and the L-1011 trijets and swore up and down that the Lockheed was a much better airplane than the DC-10, which he said was somewhat crude by comparison. He did say that the DC-10 had more "stick feel" than the L-1011 and was a fun aircraft to fly, but the Lockheed was a far better built and engineered airplane. Had the Rolls Royce engines been available on time, he said, the L-1011 would have sold a lot better. As it was, the delay in production forced Delta to lease DC-10's until the Lockheeds could be delivered.
Sterling Crockett non
The History Guy delivers again! Thank you for sharing this video!
I have watched a number of your videos and I have to say, I haven't seen one I didn't like. Thanks and keep up the good work. I look forward to each and every one of them.
I learn something new with every post . Thank You History Guy .
Me too.
In my opinion, the best on YT .
Is that a pic of the History Guy on the wall Terry?
Hey! History guy! You're the best! I've recommended your channel to many, many people I know. That's something I've NEVER done for anyone on here. That's how much I respect you, and the work you put into all this.
You're the only content creator I've ever seen actually listen to their supporters suggestions, and that makes you an amazing person.
I wish I could help support you on patreon or something... But alas I'm super broke :(
Haha.
Anyways, have a good day sir, and thanks for making my day better!
Cat thank you!
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel further showing what a great content creator you are by replying to my comment :) thank you sir
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Is that a pic of you on the wall?
Thank you so much for this!~ As a retired AA flight attendant it was of particular interest to me
thanks for making these terrific videos. such a fun series!
Another great video. Thanks for making so many great educational , as well as, entertaining videos.
Seconded
Dear History Guy: YOU are everybody's favorite high school teacher. You know how to teach while creating a "good time" for the students as well. Forget about history !!! Why don't you make instructional videos for teachers to educate them about how THEY Should do their job ??? God Bless You, History Guy !!!
The DC 10, shedding parts over the midwest since 71
LOL.. sounds like a PSA!
It was a strip of metal from a DC-10 that fell off on takeoff that blew the tire on the Concorde and set that engine fire chain of events in motion. So it was one of the very few aircraft able to destroy another aircraft without even making any contact with it...
not anymore and they are still flying
@@davidharris2519 And I'm still keeping the vow I made about 40 years ago never to fly in one.
@@joesterling4299 the DC-10, post all of its major incidents, proved to be an incredibly reliable and safe aircraft. If you've ever flown on the MD-11, then you've flown on the heavily upgraded DC-10. Both are mostly used for cargo transit now, so you rest easy.
I remember my first ever flight on a DC-10, shortly after this made the news. I got bumped on a flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta - 727 I think - and suddenly here I am on this (packed to the gills) beast headed for ATL. I was definitely nervous.
Thanks for doing Flight 96! I did a presentation at a nuclear power plant regarding Flight 96 and how Bryce McCormack's thoughtful simulator practice and the crew's competent response to the unforseen circumstances saved the lives of the crew and passengers.
If memory serves, the DC-10 that wound up crashing in Sioux City had to be steered by using the engines to get it anywhere near an airport. I had no idea that this was something that they (or at least some pilots) trained for.
I remember an old interview with one of the pilots on that crash, where he saw the video of his crash on TV while he was in the hospital, and he had a hard time believing that was him, because it looked so horrific that nobody could have made it. It was undoubtedly awful, but, thankfully, it didn't end up as bad as anybody who's ever seen the video would have assumed.
I can still remember where I was when the news of that accident, a lot of the people who survived were thrown clear into a cornfield, how the crew survived that cart wheel is beyond me. It was amazing feat of airmanship to get the plane anywhere near the field let alone on it. they had the engineer kneeling down between them operating the throttles to steer it, they had it all lined up when a cross wind hit them and they did not have time to correct it, if it wasn't for there efforts they would have all died.
Was that the flight that occured in the late 80's and crashed due to a faulty fan disk? Where the pilots, and one volunteer, had to bring the plane down by engine throttle alone?
Yeah. That's the one I'm thinking of. Now that I've looked it up, it was United 232. July 19, 1989. The Wikipedia article is pretty interesting. The fourth guy was an off-duty instructor for United. Pretty lucky that he happened to be on board.
@@davevoecks6264 Yeah that's the flight. I'm a fan of Air Crash Investigation shows and that's popped up many times. Indeed it's still amazing that there were any survivors.
After this flight nasa wrote a software upgrade for linking the normal controls to throttle to allow anyone to fly with no flight controls.
But ....... It was never allowed to be used because pilots didn't like it.
NTSB bulletins where what was posted in the bathroom with the house I grew up in. that's what happens when your dad is an aerospace Guru I remember this story.
great video thanks
Good morning my dude, thanks for the video - had me on the edge of my seat, hands over my mouth when describing the depressurization! I love your narration, vocal rhythm and general delivery - thanks for the RAD videos!
Your videos are OUTSTANDING, please keep up the great work.
i really like what you do...keep it up!
Love the channel! I’ve always wanted to know more about the death of Rudolf Diesel
I remember this event but had forgotten the details until I saw this excellent video. This is one of my favorite channels.
Again an excellent video. I love your narrative in this series
Another great piece of history
Jimmy, is that a pic of the History Guy on the wall?
Another great and informative video. I remember years sgo reading s book called "Rise and fall of the DC10" when news of the mount Erebus disaster came through. Strange coincidence.
This channel has taught me so much since I've started viewing it!. Good job!!
My new favorite Channel. Thank you
And the DC-10 flies on... I got to watch one converted to a wildfire-fighting air tanker make a drop on a fire near me this summer.
In California, we have both the DC-10s and 747s fighting forest fires. It is amazing watching one of the "heavys" being flown like a crop duster...
@cinnamongirl3121 No. No airline even uses it and it's later brother the MD-11.
FedEx still uses the updated DC-10, the MD-10. They still fly the MD-10 version of the DC10-10 from the mid 70s.
@@dphorgan MD-10s have glass cockpits right?
Being from Detroit, I remember this story and the casket in the cornfield.
Well made casket!
The plane blew a casket
I believe that was my Grandmothers casket in this event, I was told my my Grandmother's casket fell out of a Plane in 1972 I was 10 yrs old. My Grandmother died in June 1972 and she lived in Milwaukee Wis. She was to be buried in Attica N.Y 30 miles from Buffalo.
Thank you for another great video.
I enjoy all of your videos. They are interesting, well told, continuity is amazing. Thank you!
Interesting bit of history, loved the telling of it! (You confused me for a sec with "Flight 97" at 07:36 - had me scrolling back to see what I missed - until I realized that it was just a misspeak :D)
Sorry!
I caught it also, before reading the comments. Please refer back to the crews comment at 2:45.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Is that a photo of you on the wall?
One thumbs down? What's not to like about an informative video? Must be a jealous rival CZcamsr😂😂
w/e I see one thumbs-down on a clearly great video made by a great channel, I always wonder this too. Maybe some super nerd who spent the past +30 years obsessively studying this one topic, & the history guy omitted one esoteric piece of info? this is literally the only thing I can think of, but I'd really love to know why. odd that they NEVER leave a post explaining their downvote
I don't think The History Guy has any rival on CZcams.
arachnonixon: or someone on a phone fat-fingered thumbs down by mistake ?
Thanks to your post there will certainly be more.
Regardless of Asou's post there will certainly be more.
Outstanding as usual - I'm a major airline Captain and I've never heard of this event - as you say, forgotten history.
As someone who loves history I'm so glad to have found your channel. I love learning these obscure stories that no one else I've seen is talking about. Thank you sir.
WoW..let me be the 1st to say good morning and thanks for this enlightening video.
"Like a DC-10 I'm guaranteed to go down
But baby your black box is the one that I found" - bloodhound gang
lol....good song
Love that line
I'll give you the gift that keeps on giving, it won't cost you any money
i simply love history from a very young age...i simply love this channel!
Excellent episode. I've watched this more than once and each time I find myself on edge as you describe the landing. Brilliant. I too love history and your treatises are always well done. I believe you could describe the history of drying paint and make it interesting. Well done.
I especially like your naval & aviation stories.
Including US Coast Guard, our unsung guardians.
I remember this well because 6 months after I was boarding my first flight ever. I was in the British army and we were flying from RAF Brize Norton to Hanover, Germany and for about a week or so before this flight was too often the topic of the bar room conversation, meant to scare people such as myself. It worked and I was terrified.
The RAF flew Lockheed L1011 Tristars not the Douglas DC10
@@andrewwmacfadyen6958 I wasn't commenting on the type of aircraft it's just that my first flight was then and the topic of discussion was that accident. I have flown in an RAF
VC10 out of Aldergrove.
@@colinp2238 That's the VC10, not the DC10 of course. So far as I can find, no VC10 ever crashed due to any design fault.
The History Guy: A genius of oral history. This is well, well done, sir!
Great presentation, thank you!
👍✈Remember them quite well. Great piloting.
My late grandfather was VP of the old Douglas Aircraft Co. He would have been outraged that they let hardware such as that door and the latches get into use not fixed.
I love how you quoted the crews' response in your best historian voice. I can't wait to see how you handle stronger language in future videos. Another great video.
Another great video! I only just discovered your channel, and have been really loving it!
You always hear that flying is safer than driving. It's ironic that the amazing pilot died in a car accident.
Another excellent video. After the Turkish crash, the cargo bay door was finally redesigned to make it nearly impossible for a cargo door failure of the type that occured on AA 96 and THI 981 and there was never another cargo door failure on a DC-10 to this day. Using a non-plug door and electrical rather than hydraulic latching were both cost savings measures. If ground crew followed instructions exactly, the door wouldn't fail. Any significant deviation and failure was certain. The famous Applegate memo, written by Convair engineer Dan Applegate in 1972, detailed failures that occured in ground testing and predicted an in-flight failure was going to happen. From what I've read, the design change to make the door less expensive saved MD about $90,000 on the initial production aircraft. The fixes cost about $4 million, lawsuit costs were at least $18 million that we know of, and it cost 346 people their lives.
Sar Jim ISTR they "fixed" that latch like 3 or 4 times before getting it right. Part of the fault lies with the false expectation the ground crews would operate the latch as daintily as the engineers did.
One of the fixes was to install a small, pressure protected window that allowed the crewman to look inside and see that the latching mechanism was properly engaged. But the instructions on the Turkish Airlines plane were only written in Turkish and English, and the ground crewman was Algerian and could read neither.
What I read in the research suggested that the issue was not so much the cost of the fix, but the loss of time to market and the need to get another airworthiness certificate. Still , it was clearly a bad choice.
It is the little things that turn into something major. NASA Thought a piece of foam was no big deal too....
Indeed, although this one was pretty major, and pointed out by the chief engineer of their subcontractor. Just penny wise and pound foolish.
It was a little of both. Not putting in hydraulics for the door was the big money saver. Once some people inside MD were asking for a door redesign, it was going to delay the introduction of the plane against the Lockheed L-1011. Adding the little window to the door helped those that could read and follow instructions, but it's the kind of fix you know will ultimately fail. The DC-10 was one of those airplanes rushed into production. By 1979, most of the initial problems had been fixed. There hasn't been a crash since attributable to problems with the airframe or systems, and it went on to a successful career with the Air Force as a tanker. If it had been properly engineered and built from the beginning it may have been one of the most successful airliners. Instead, it almost dragged McDonnell Douglas to bankruptcy and caused the deaths of hundreds of people.
This was the scariest thing I have ever seen on CZcams. I have had things go wrong in the sky in some airplanes I piloted, but just hearing about this explosive decompression scared the hell out of me. Happy that all survived to tell the tale. Good piloting by McCormick.
Keith is that a pic of the history guy on the wall? Look at the hairline.
@@shermankelly9062 Oh! Do you refer to the photo of the Navy seaman above the bugle? Possible. Good eye.
@@hlynnkeith9334 Been curious about this for. a while.
In 1999, I had the pleasure to attend a speech made by Captain Al Haynes, UAL 232; 19 July, 1989. Captain Haynes was traveling the country, speaking about the importance of 'planning and preparedness'; I had not known about AAL96, but Captain McCormick's "extra time in the simulator", bore an eerie similarity to what I remember Captain Haynes saying about their combined efforts in the cockpit, that summer's day, in 1989.
I don't understand why the public was made to believe that the DC-10 was a "good" airplane. It was rushed through testing to get ahead of Lockheed's L-1011 which was a superior airplane. The FAA almost grounded the DC-10 quite a few times and did after the Turkish airlines crash (I could be wrong about the incident that caused the grounding but it was grounded at one time.) A Boeing 747 also blew a cargo door in flight. That killed a passenger whose body was never recovered unfortunately. But not one L-1011 was lost due to blowing out a cargo door. In fact, no L-1011's where ever lost due to a fault in the design of the aircraft. Unfortunately, it was way over priced due to mismanagement.
The 747 cargo door accident you mentioned was United flight 811, February 1989, departed Honolulu
It was grounded after AA 191, where faulty engine maintenance led to an engine detaching during takeoff, a situation which caused the deadliest crash in US history.
It was grounded after AA 191, where faulty engine maintenance led to an engine detaching during takeoff, a situation which caused the deadliest crash in US history.
The DC-10 is blamed for accidents that weren't actually due to a fault in design like Sioux City Iowa and AA191
I started out in DC-6 and Constellations. The DC-10 was the only commercial Aircraft I refused to fly on in all these years. Spent a lot of time going out of my way to avoid them. The L-1011 was a far superior aircraft.
The strange thing is that the DC-8 and DC-9 were fine aircraft. As a boy I remember flying on many DC-8s and always loved them. They were very flexible, with wings flapping and engine nacelles swinging back and forth in turbulent air, which made for a fairly comfortable ride, even if it alarmed some of the passengers. Delta had tons of them, and later UPS used them for cargo well into the 90s at least. And Boeing 717 was still in production as late as 2006; the last member of the DC-9 family.
Wow, funny you should mention the wing flapping - something I had completely forgotten about until I read your reply. I also started on DC-6s and my first jet and solo flight (as a teen) was Newark to LA on a United DC-8. I did ask the stew about the wings going up and down so much. Co-pilot came back to reassure a bit later. The most startling event of that flight was deployment of thrust reversers at altitude immediately before descending into LA like a rock. At cruise altitude, it was profound when you suddenly were putting tension on your seat belt and in my case looking out the window and watching the ground stop moving by. That was a very competitive route between United's DC-8s and American 707s - they took off one after another. Ironically, that was the year of the Great Airplane Strike and I got stuck in LA much to my Aunt's chagrin I'm sure. She eventually got me a ticket - on American so my return flight was on a brand new 707. Both great airplanes - comfortable and fast. Well under 4 hours on the eastbound return.
The other thing about the DC-8's flexibility I remember is that if you sat at the very back of the longer version, the "Stretch 8" they called it, and looked up the aisle during turbulent flight you could see the cabin bending as the fuselage flexed. Funny thing, I remember the seats, the armrests with the little ashtray lids, the windows, and even the smell.
Ah yes, the little ash trays. On that flight, my aunt put me in first and I was 2nd row behind a bulkhead. I vividly recall a little thermostat (similar to the standard round ones at home) on the bulkhead but have never seen any interior pics of anything similar. Why did I notice it? As we were taxiing out for takeoff on a hot and humid (95ish) afternoon at Newark, I started sweating more and more - and I was looking squarely at the temp gauge climb to over 100. Coat came off, tie came off and still hot. Pilot announced that primary AC had failed and he'd cut in the secondary and we'd be back to normal just after takeoff. Great flight all in all! Never flew the stretch.
@@RCAvhstape I thought the 717 was based on the MD-80?
I really appreciate this channel. I can't imagine how much digging and research it takes to make such nicely detailed videos
Randy, is that a pic of the history guy on the wall?
Great vid. I remembered this as you teaching us about it.
Reminds me of the DC-10 in Sioux City Iowa!!!! But that was an engine #2 failure.... pilot did the same thing to land the plane... but crashed on landing!
Yes, I do remember that one too!
Was that with Deny Finch?
@@georgearmstrong3224 Yes. He was a senior instructor pilot/check ride trainer for the DC-10 who happened to be on board as a passenger. Al Haynes was the pilot. The the fan disk in the No. 2 engine failed and its self destruction damaged all the hydraulic lines to the control surfaces. The flight crew with Dennis Fitch flew and landed the DC-10 on the engine power of #1 and #3 alone.. no control surfaces! An incredible piece of airmanship and teamwork.
In the case of the United 232 crash the entire tail was damaged in such a way that the aircraft was literally trying to roll over on its back and dive without constant, full application of countering control, without hydraulic boost...think like trying to drive a three axle dump truck with no power steering and the alignment janked fully to one side...absolutely exhausting to control. By using differential thrust they were able to HELP it stay level, but still had to strain to control it. And they could only turn by reducing power and allowing the aircraft to succumb to it's tendency to want to roll in one direction. Turns in the other direction were not possible on any level. This is why they crashed, fighting phugoid motions (rise and fall of pitch as a feedback loop due to delayed response to power application), as well as only having the most rudimentary directional control, and only in one direction. These pilots in the incident featured here at least had an aircraft that was flying neutral after the damage and probably still responded to inputs, but only with extreme effort.
It was a little concerning when the USAF adopted the DC-10 as the KC-10 Extender Air Refueling aircraft. Luckily there has not been an issue with hatches.
Probably because the KC-10 has no aft cargo door. (The boom hangs in the road of the door).
I remember that one only vaguely. It stands in my mind as one of a few amazing feats of pilot skill and courage. Well done.
Love your history stories.
If you’re looking for other airplane suggestions, look into British Airways Flight 9, also known as Speedbird 9. An amazing story
I second that
I also agree. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've had a small problem..."
@@musicmanfelipe musicman, do you see the UFO next to the 747?
2:42 lol, you know it's bad if that's all that's said
I look forward to your videos. You can never learn too much. Thank you.
Is that a pic if the History Guy on the wall?
Wonderful as usual!!! You make history come back to life!!!
Shirley, is that a pic of the history on the wall? Look at the hairline.
Oh Shit! indeed!!
It's nice to know that this has been the best response to "unknown levels of catastrophe" for some time
I have several friends who are commercial aviators. I have been told "Oh Shit" isn't that bad. Oh shit is a standard response to an issue. It's only when you hear an aviator drop the F-Bomb that you know you're in trouble.
@@pappybugington ya but thats at a known level catastrophe.
"Oh shit" is the "what was that something bad" response
No kidd'in huh!! LOL :)
Oh, Sh**demonetized**! Indeed! Even though it is an accounting of actual history.
[Edit: Removed a hashtag because I didn't realize what it actually leads to.]
The most tragic part is that they had to return to Detroit.
Once again, nicely done. Thank you very much for your informative and entertaining videos!
@Kevin Clark Kevin Do see the UFO next to the 747?
In a sea of junk videos the History Guy stands out in providing world class top professional programs both in content and production. Another ***** 5 star winner!
Perhaps a future episode on United Airlines Flight 232 where total hydraulic failure on a DC-10 DID occur.
That one wasn't the fault of the DC-10 in particular
Enjoy these stories.
Brilliantly done!
I really enjoy your videos- thank you
American pilots, Best in the world...
The DC-10 was a cursed airplane from the beginning.
It was cursed by terrible engineering.
@@rubiconnn After redesign it returned to passenger service, the last passenger flight being after 2000. It is still carrying cargo to this day.
@Donald Grant N306FE still flies to this very day, D.G.
@@shermankelly9062 Still had a lot of problems with the DC 10. Just sayin.
I love your channel ! Thank you : )
Love this channel. The "Oh shit" took me completely by surprise- I had to pause because I was laughing so hard!
Well, that was probably the first thing the crew actually did!
Nothing beat flying tristars cross country...love me some L 1011...DC 10 not so much
Excellent video.
Air travel constantly gets safer due to organizations such as the NTSB and their international partners.
Aviation advances are paved in blood. A hard way to learn, but we do.
Medicine, food and product safety, building technology, transportation industry, laws, in fact nearly every aspect of civilization is paved in the blood of mistakes. It is a hard way to learn, but not to learn is even harder.
Unfortunately it often takes the test of time to reveal Swiss cheese holes that were previously unidentified.
I've been on several medical investigations and responded to several aircraft incidents. Read about Root Cause Analysis: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_cause_analysis
The NTSB said there was no evidence explosives were used on 9/!! ... because they did not look for any.
well done very complete and informative
Another Great Lunch Time Learning Video.