The captain of that flight Al Haynes died about a week ago, 30 years after this accident. I remember it very well, watched the whole thing unfold once they started broadcasting it on TV. Only 185 survived, can you imagine how many would have died if not for the crew that was flying that day, they were in a good hands. Very well done tfc, another fine detailed video. A always thank you for the time you invest in your video's.

Though I lost my father..I know without a doubt what a miracle it was that so many people survived..Al Haynes and crew are forever in my heart along with all of the families that will never forget July 19

Finch had actually trained for this very accident. He saw the total loss of hydraulics that JAL 123 had 4 years prior and wondered if one could control a plane using thrust only. He had practiced it occasionally in a flight simulator. Just an insane coincidence that Finch was one of the few people on the planet who understood that total loss of hydraulic incidents were possible, and trained for it.

You can tell by Haynes voice and disposition what kind of man he is. Laughing in the face of almost certain death, not because he isn’t scared but because he is human. This is hard to watch and makes me tear up but what a feat to have anyone survive.

Denny Fitch was one of the biggest aviation heroes that ever lived. It was a miracle that 185 survived this crash but the great team work of him, Al Haynes & the crew did it. Denny still blamed himself for the 111 who lost their lives. Also the farmer couple who found the fan disc that failed are heroes too. From what I hear they never kept a dime of the reward money and gave it to charity and worthwhile causes.

What a positive person that Pilot is. When ATC says "You're clear to land on any runway." And Captain Hayes laughs and says, "You want to be particular and make it a runway ha?" That's one man I would've like to have met.

The fact that they managed to get that close to the runway under those conditions is incredible.

Only 185 survived? The fact that anyone survived is a miracle. Capt. Alfred Haynes...I Hope every flight I’m ever on has your expertise and calm in the cockpit. RIP. What a hero!

Imagine driving down the freeway and your steering wheel comes off in your hands. And you can't slow down until you get to your driveway.

185 survive with no hydraulic control. Those pilots are absolute heroes. May they rest in peace.

I think of it like this. When that fan disk disintegrated, the plane had 296 dead people on board. 185 of them were brought back to,life by a superlative feat of airmanship.

"Of the 296 passengers and crew on board, only 185 survived" "Only"?? That's over 60%. Having anyone survive using only torque to steer is impressive, let alone over half of them. Definitely wouldn't have said "only", more like "amazingly".

Possibly the most amazing feat of airmanship in history. If you've ever heard (or read) Captain Haynes retelling of the event, it is absolutely unbelievable how much good luck they had after a catastrophic piece of bad luck. Among the things Haynes listed as critical to the survival of 185 people: (1) it happened during the day over Iowa, not over the Rockies or an ocean. Lots of flat farmland, so the crew had hope that even if they couldn't make an airport a crash landing could be survivable. (2) The weather was clear and calm, no storms or turbulence; that's definitely not a given thing over the great plains in the Summer. (3) The director of operations at Sioux Gateway Airport had required the staff to run a "what if" drill once a year for possibility of a crash of a 737 at the airport. The DC-10 is a much bigger plane, but the airport staff already had processes, guidelines, and contacts in place for a disaster. (4) It was the one day of the month the Iowa Air National Guard was training at the airport. 285 National Guard members were already on-site and ready to assist with rescue operations. (5) There was enough time between the engine failure and the crash landing to notify all medical personnel in the surrounding area. First shift workers were held over, and second shift workers were summoned in early, so every hospital was double-staffed with doctors and nurses. All elective surgeries were cancelled to free up operating rooms. Ambulances were sent from all surrounding counties so that there would be enough personnel on-site to transport survivors to the hospital. One final addendum: the NTSB ran several reconstructions of the accident in simulators during their investigation. None of the simulations (using live or computerized pilots) resulted in any survivors, with one pilot who observed the studies saying, "Most of the simulations never even made it close to the ground." The NTSB concluded that this was not a survivable accident, and stated in the final report: "under the circumstances the UAL (United Airlines) flight crew performance was highly commendable and greatly exceeded reasonable expectations."

No disrespect to Sullenberger, but this was by far the most incredible emergency landing of all time. The manual says they're dead and they still save 185 people. That's got to beat any water landing.

When asked what he would've done differently, Haynes said, with a chuckle, "I would've called in sick"

"...You want to be particular and make it a runway, huh..." So incredibly cool.

When that disk let go all of the people on that plane were lost. It was only through sheer skill and teamwork that the pilots were able to save 185 souls. A finer act of heroism cannot be found in my opinion.

RIP Captain Haynes, who passed away just 6 days from his 88th birthday this August after a short illness. His expertise and his full engagement in the crew resource management saved 185 lives from this impossible situation. His fellow flight crew officers said he was fully engaged with flying the plane all the way to the ground and wept in the hospital when he was told how many (111) had perished in the crash. Many of the survivors met with him in the hospital and thanked him for everything he did to save the plane. His legacy of expertise will live on in the annals of aviation of a Captain who never gave up, never stopped using all the resources available to him and flew the airplane until the very end. Thank you for the outstanding video. Well done. In memory of those who perished in the flight 232 and Captain Haynes.

I read that in simulators, nobody has ever been able to duplicate this landing. What a miracle, what great pilots. Great job on this video.

I remember watching Captain Fitch interviewed a few times. Poor guy suffered from survivors guilt. Still he loved flying and stuck with it.

I attended a flight proficiency seminar a couple of years after this incident. Their guest speaker was the captain of this flight. He brought a slide show and the audio recordings of all their communications with ATC during this emergency. The professionalism of both the flight crew and ATC controllers was amazing. When he finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the place. It was amazing and also amazing that anyone survived at all. The cockpit of the aircraft ended up separating from the rest of the structure and just looked like a wadded up piece of steel. All those in the cockpit were trapped inside but none of rescuers realized it because it didn't look like anything a body would still be alive in. That is, until a worker was walking by when one of the men groaned and was heard. He had pictures of the cockpit and it's unbelievable that anyone was in there, let alone several people.

It was around 1999. Because I was a ham radio operator I was invited to attend a speech given by Capt. Haynes for emergency service providers in my small Texas town. Needless to say the event was awe-inspiring. I heard the entire story straight from his mouth. The most memorable part was the details he told of how Sioux City citizens came together to rescue the survivors and provide immediate medical care. He credited others for any success he had that day. After he was done I waited until he was freed up for one thing only: to tell him I wanted to shake the hand of a hero. I did.

Possibly the finest piece of aviation ever performed. To not panic and lose total control with just the slightest misjudged action, in the face of a horrifying situation, deserves the greatest respect and admiration.

“I have serious doubts about making the airport” then asking for a safe place to ditch the plane so that no one on the ground would be injured. These pilots were amazing and to listen to Haynes tell the story and feel the loss of the lives he didn’t save is heartbreaking. This incident actually lifts my spirit to know that human ingenuity and the guts to never give up can be a powerful resource in the face of certain tragedy.

In 1990, the 4 flight officers on United 232 were jointly awarded the Polaris award. This is the world's highest, and most rarely awarded Civil Aviation award in existance. It is not even awarded, on average, once per year. They were the *ONLY* worldwide flight crew which won that award in that year. It is only awarded for exhibiting the ' highest and most difficult airmanship skills under the most difficult and dangerous of flying conditions. ' Very richly deserved.

RIP captain haynes. Hope you and denny Fitch are watching over us from the skies

Two greatest lines ever spoken by Captains of Flights in danger: "We're gonna be in the Hudson" - Sully, and "You wanna be particular and make it a runway huh?" - Haynes. I have nothing but the utmost respect for both men and their incredible crews who kept their cool under conditions that would have me running to the nearest restroom to change my pants.

I live in the Sioux City area and was a kid when this happened. My mother was a nurse at one of the local hospitals and would work many extra hours helping the victims. The flight crew along with the many first responders in the Siouxland area are the heroes. I can still remember like it was yesterday. Thank you for making this.

Engine failure. No hydraulics. Plane literally falling from the skies. And the sheer calmness in Haynes’ voice. Definitely made of the right stuff.

R.I.P Captain Haynes, you did what you could to save everyone and you lived as a hero . Much Respect

My dad’s schoolmate died on this flight. She was in 5th grade and her name was Kim and he wrote a song for her and played it for the rest of the school. He just told me this so I had to dig in to see what happened. So unfortunate but amazing job by the flight crew to save many lives that would’ve been lost.

"Oh, you want to be particular and make it a runway, huh?" Amazing that he could crack a joke while knowing that he might die. If it hadn't been for these brave men, I think everyone on board would have died.

I saw a documentary on this accident many years ago. It included an interview with Fitch. It seemed, during the interview, that he blamed himself over the many people who died on that flight. As I recall, with Fitch at the throttle controls, (apparently the only controls working), he made a last second decision to stop what he said was a non-survivable vertical drop. Having saved most people on board by stopping this non-survivable descent, the wing fell causing the plane to cartwheel. If it wasn't for Fitch, it's likely all would have perished that day. RIP

After this crash, the whole thing was set up on a simulator, several pilots tried, and all failed to get within 20 miles of the airport. The loss of life was tragic of course, but even so, it was a modern day miracle not everyone was killed. Well what can be said to praise TFC which hasn't already been said? another superb presentation

Pilot still manages to laugh well knowing he is likely about to die. INCREDIBLE

I remember watching this on the news as it was happening. The fact that over half of the passengers lived, tells you that crew wasn't going to give up. The fact that they were able a get flying rock on the ground with 189 souls, that survived is magical in itself. I'm truly sorry for those that didn't make, but no one would have made it with out that crew!

It was a miracle that anyone survived.

Amazing how calm the pilots voices were

Let's take a moment to appreciate the sheer skill and calmness and teamwork of these pilots. *Salute to you Sir*.

IMHO, this is the most amazing feat of modern times. I've also read that the ATC moved to Sioux City because he found his former job as a NYC ATC "too stressful.."

I served as an EMT in Western Iowa not long after this incident. I had triage training by the doctor who coordinated the rescue. I wish this channel would have mentioned the heroic efforts made by the dozens of volunteer fire and rescue departments who worked along side the Sioux City fire department and ambulance service. They were called as soon as the decision was made to attempt to reach Sioux City and were in place before the landing attempt. All of the injured were transported to the hospital within one hour, which dramatically increased the chance of surviving. They used to call it "the golden hour". The doctor shared several lessons were learned in that crash. One was, the passengers who followed the brace instructions tended to survive. Those who did not were among the fatalities. In closing, I think that having 185 survivors in a crash like this is a remarkable thing. This was the result of the combined heroic efforts of the flight crew and those on the ground. We mourn for those who died; but was not "just" 185 survivors. An incredible 185 persons lived through this terrible ordeal. Let's celebrate that.

I like the ATC conversations, they add a nice extra voice instead of a completely silent video.

I was 8 years old when my family and I missed this flight and had to take another back to Philadelphia. 32 years later curious to know the details of this flight because my memories were hazy on the details... and oh man, the chills this gives me.

I watched this landing in horror and admiration. It did seem to be an impossible landing yet almost 2/3 of the passengers and crew survived. It was a miracle that anyone survived. My heart ached for the lives lost but rejoiced that so many lived thanks to the incredible skill of those in the cockpit.

Cap Sully: "I landed a plane in the Hudson with no casualty." Cap Haynes: "Hold my empty hydraulics" *Gets plane to runway and makes an overspeed landing without control, and saves more than half of people on board*

Sad to know that Captain Alfred Clair Haynes (Al Haynes) died about a week ago. He was a hero as he managed to save 185 lives when the chances of survival were nearly 0. And such a legend deserved to live more longer :'( RIP Captain Haynes (1932 - August 25, 2019)

I believe Al Haynes and Denny Fitch are up there doing the Lord's work among the clouds now, keeping eternal watch over pilots, crews, and passengers, shepherding them safely along their travels.

Back in the day, my uncle, who was a captain for Eastern Airlines, told my dad and me that he'd test-flown a DC-10 and called it a "killer (in a BAD way) airplane - the *most dangerously unstable aircraft* he'd ever flown." He was a part of the team that got Eastern to buy the *L-1011* - which he said was, without a doubt, the *best plane* he'd ever flown... *"a dream to fly!"* he said.

Thank you so much for this one, always one of my favorite air investigation stories. I can't imagine the overwhelming sense of loss of 111 passengers, but 185 survived is an incredible testimony to the skill level of the crew that day!. As always, great recreation! RIP to an American hero, Capt. Al Haines.

Wow what An event. rest in peace to all of them.

Dennis Fitch was a keynote speaker at a supplier symposium that Cessna Aircraft hosted, to which I was invited. He related this story along with some associated audio, video and photos during his speech. I, along with many others, simply shook his hand in silence afterwards, with tears in our eyes. Needless to say, it was an extremely moving and emotional presentation that Dennis did.

FYI: Actually, the finally tally was 112 dead...one person survived longer but eventually died from injuries, making the number of survivers 184...pretty damn amazing. Also, Laurence Gonzales wrote a book about this crash, the cause and aftermath, with a huge amount of detail as to even how the metal used for the fan blades is purified, etc., and it also told in great detail about how all the victims were handled on the field and all that was done to identify them, etc., making sure no mistakes were made...just an amazingly complete record from start to end...I would have never guessed what all went into recording/investigating that event. Really good book..."Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival" in case you'd like to read about the accident (no, I don't get anything for promoting it).

"Only" 185 survived...looking at how immense and horrific this crash was, I was genuinely surprised that anyone survived. 185 survivors is a miracle! If it weren't for Captain Haynes excellent openess to allow everyone to have input and work together as a team, no one would've survived!

In the voice recording, the same captain is also heard saying something along the lines "if we survive this landing I will buy you all a beer"

I'm amazed by the captain's apparently calm and casual manner with which he communicates with the controller even in the face of such a horrific and almost hopeless situation. He is a true professional. It's also intriguing, as a Japanese, to learn from Wikipedia that the 1985 crash of JAL 123, caused by a total loss of hydraulics, provided a lesson to the DC-10 flight instructor onboard, who had studied the crash and had practiced using throttle differential under similar conditions on a simulator. That might have contributed to some of the lives saved.

These older pilots, a lot of them flew before all the automation. So when there was an issue they could fly manually. This is a dying breed. Now a lot of pilots lose control if automation fails. Nothing against younger pilots, the world 🌎 and technology are advancing.

United 232, may those who perished, be at peace.

I can't even believe how much calm and poise those guys had, especially Haynes. He was able to crack jokes right before it was likely he was going to perish. God bless these men.

The simulation work you did including real voice recording is absolutely outstanding and a great tribute to an incredible captain and crew

I was 14 when this happened and up until a Instagram post I thought I saw the other day I thought all aboard had been killed especially after seeing that crash. The fact that they landed this was just incredible and the fact that anyone survived let alone 184 is just a miracle.

*RIP* Al Haynes😥 #truehero

Only 185 survived? It's amazing that anybody survive at all. For such a horrific and violent crash... It's amazing that so many people survived.

The fact that Captain was able to joke in this situation either says he's a madman or such a calm and cool pilot that even facing almost certain death he was able to maintain his composure. As a student pilot, I would have been screaming for help haha much respect to these guys.....they saved many lives.

Upon introducing eachother Fitch asked Hayes that "when this was all over how about a drink." To which, Hayes told danny "i don't drink but i'll sure as shit will have one."

The fact that anyone survived is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the flight crew. They saved lives that day.

This sort of thing can be classified as a real miracle. It's like landing with your hands tied back.

Even though 185 people survived, it's still the greatest emergency landing in history

I heard they recreated this scenario in the simulator during the accident investigation and nobody was able to make the airport and land. Fantastic skills by these airmen, and even the humor during the radio transmission with ATC. I studied this accident among many others as a Fire Officer in Dublin Airport and gave many lectures on it including actual crash and post crash footage.

a remake from one of your first, im ready for it to be good

"You want to be particular and make it a runway, huh?" This guy knows full well there's a good chance he's about to die and he's laughing and making jokes while sounding like it's a normal day. Absolutely incredible

Captain Alfred Claire Haynes was also a Navy pilot for four years prior to his civilian service. Phenomenal human, tremendously talented pilot with an enduring sense of humour. Some people have said in some of these comment boards that pilots who successfully navigate a disaster are not heroes because their own lives are also on the line. I think this man puts the lie to that statement ; good pilots are so very conscious of the lives of their passengers, this man cried inconsolably after the accident when he realized the number of deaths. He was incredibly humble, always refusing to take the credit for his actions.

Alfred Haynes is my aviation hero!!!! He did what no other pilot could have done. I remember it being sad that the FFA forced his retirement because of his age, and at the same time it was his age/experience that saved so many lives that day. RIP Alfred Haynes!

Omg what a thrilling episode!! The best I've seen to date, I know there were 111 casualties however this captain and its crew are heroes for saving the rest on this impossible landing with barely any control! Also the title didn't give any spoilers made the episode extra good! :) Thanks TFC! This was a masterpiece!!! ❤️👌🏼✈️

This is some of the most consistently high quality content anywhere. Tragedies like these can become “just statistics” if we let them, but your channel reminds us that these were real people, real heroes trying to save lives, in the face of unimaginably terrifying circumstances. Hopefully we can all learn something from them.

Heard Dennis Fitch describe his experiences coming up from the cabin on this flight. Truly heartbreaking and awe-inspiring.

Met him at 2 separate lectures, Captain Alfred "Al" Haynes was an incredible human being as well as an excellent pilot, likewise for Captain Dennis "Denny" Fitch, whom I had the pleasure of also meeting! RIP to All not with us from "UAL 232"!!

It breaks my heart every time I see this video! The pilots tried so hard! That they and so many passengers and crew survived that crash is truly a miracle!

RiP Captain Haynes, what a pilot.

You re-edited it with CVR on it. I live this. Hands down my most favorite video on KZfaq. Real definition of hero : Someone that against all odds still make the impossible happen. RIP to Al. May him and all of these 4 heroes be in peace.

The preparation the pilot and co-pilot did give themselves for just such an accident is the only reason all lives were not lost on this flight. It is with my greatest respect I note that these two men were prepared when disaster struck, did not panic, and made a difference in people's lives. Well done, gentlemen.

RIP to all and Captain Haynes. You now have the best seat in the universe. This is such a great homage, TFC! Proud to be an original sub!

TheFlightChannel, KZfaq's#1 virtual aviator, and aviation accident storyteller about to bless our feeds once again with the UA232 remake. On the topic, if you're reading this, your next regular flight video should be the American Airlines Super 80 final flight.

It’s a miracle anyone survived this. Awesome capt. and crew. May he Rest In Peace

I also fly in flight simulator. And its beyond my understanding how Captain Haynes is keeping his calm. Whenever I hear any alarm or warning in Cockpit I freak out. But this guy kept his calm kept flying and saved people's lives. Its very hard to keep yourself in control when you know your death is near now. My respects to him. May his soul rests in peace.

I was sitting in the lounge at Stapleton airport waiting for a connection to Los Angeles on a flight from the east to west coast when this crash occured. I remember they had CNN on the TV's in the lounge and the breaking news came on about an incident in Sioux City - they had actual video footage of the incident that was captured - you can see it here preserved from a KIRO7 clip - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mqmEpdZq0rHRmJc.html --- everyone in the airport became instantly transfixed on the news as it came out that the flight had just left Denver earlier in the day.

❤God Bless Captain Haynes, a real pilot...that man KNEW HOW TO FLY A PLANE WITH HIS OWN HANDS! And because of his knowledge, 185 people lived!

I study plane crashes as a hobby and this is the absolute most interesting one. The video Denny Fitch did that's on KZfaq is so interesting to hear it from his perspective. All 3 pilots where good at what they do. RIP Capt Hayes and RIP TCA Denny Fitch.

Best description of this crash: imagine your car losing its brakes and its steering and getting it onto your block let alone your front yard. Heroes.

Wow. Just, wow. It's so sad that so many children were on this flight, but also so amazing that so many people survived. The pilots were so amazing. That they managed to even get close to the airport is amazing and they should've been given some sort of award. Also how on earth did he manage to chuckle?! . RIP Al Haynes, you're a hero ❤❤❤

Is this uploaded as a tribute to Captain Haynes? Also, this is a fantastic video, you’ve done a great job, I’m sure Captain Haynes would love this. Thank you so much for your efforts sir!

Wow. RIP to all those who died. What incredible pilots, they took a seemingly doomed situation and did what they could. They saved a lot of lives.

The flight and landing were remarkable! No doubt about it. The survivors were lucky to have that flight crew that day! My heart still broke for those 11 children that died. I read that most were alone without their parents. They must had been so frightened.

Wow! I am happy that lots of people survived. I'm shocked that majority survived! Good video by the way 😁

Medal of honor to the flight crew that have made it possible to reach near the airport. My heart feels grateful for their action, at the same time feels sorrow for the others that perished after landing. May their souls rest in peace.

The fact that anyone survived is a miracle. I was fortunate enough to meet a survivor of the crash about a year ago. I think this might be one of the most incredible landings in aviation history.

I'm astounded that the pilots could remain so clear-headed during such a crisis. Their heroic efforts saved many lives.

I was honored and awestruck to have met Capt Al Haynes about 20 years ago when he was a guest at an Air Traffic club I belonged to. I will never forget him

If you want a longer breakdown of this, including all the engineering and economics that lead up to the crash I highly recommend checking out "Well There's Your Problem" podcast, which is a podcast about engineering disasters. They just did an episode on UA flight 232

It's actually astonishing anyone survived. That flight crew did an incredible job. So very sad about the 111 who died, but for them to save 185 is truly something. When I saw the first photo of the crash site I didn't think anyone could have survived. Adding that this is another really great presentation. Thank you.

the fact that anyone survived on a plane with no hydraulics is incredible, that flight was doomed and the pilot managed to save more than half. What a great man