On this day, February 24, 1989, the cargo door tore off United Airlines Flight 811, ejecting nine people from the plane.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

United Airlines Flight 811

Coordinates: 20.690°N 158.675°W
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United Airlines Flight 811


N4713U after the cargo door tore off in flight, causing an explosive decompression and ejecting nine people from the plane

Accident
Date: February 24, 1989
Summary: Cargo door failure leading to explosive decompression
Site: Pacific Ocean near Honolulu, Hawaii, 20.690°N 158.675°W

Aircraft


N4713U, photographed in 1982 at LAX, seven years before the accident.

Aircraft type: Boeing 747-122
Registration: N4713U
Flight origin: Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1st stopover: Honolulu International Airport; Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
2nd stopover: Auckland Airport; Auckland, New Zealand
Destination: Sydney Airport; Sydney, Australia

Occupants: 355
Passengers: 337
Crew: 18
Fatalities: 9
Injuries: 38
Survivors: 346

United Airlines Flight 811 was a regularly scheduled international flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, with intermediate stops at Honolulu and Auckland. On February 24, 1989, the Boeing 747-122 serving the flight experienced a cargo-door failure in flight shortly after leaving Honolulu. The resulting explosive decompression blew out several rows of seats, killing nine passengers. The aircraft returned to Honolulu and landed without further incident.

Aircraft


The same aircraft at Heathrow, in 1993, after being repaired and re-registered as N4724U.

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 747-122 (registration number N4713U). It was delivered to United Airlines on November 3, 1970. Its serial number was 19875 and it was the 89th 747 built. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 58,814 total flight hours and 15,028 flight pressurization cycles, and had not been involved in any previous accidents.

On February 24, 1989, the aircraft was scheduled by United Airlines to operate as Flight 811 from Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, to Sydney Airport in Mascot, New South Wales, Australia, with intermediate stops at Honolulu International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Auckland Airport in Auckland, New Zealand. Flight 811 operated without incident on the first leg of the flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu and no difficulties were reported by the flight crew upon arriving at Honolulu, where a crew change occurred.

After the accident, the aircraft was repaired and put back into service with United, but was re-registered as N4724U. In 1997, the aircraft was taken out of service and passed on to Air Dabia as C5-FBS. Air Dabia ceased operations in 1998, and the aircraft was abandoned at Plattsburgh International Airport, where it was scrapped in 2004.

{snip}