In tragic news, an inside plane disaster has shaken the aviation industry. A cabin explosion at an altitude of 24,000ft tore a hole in the fuselage and resulted in the horrific loss of one of the flight attendants. The shocking incident has left many wondering how such a catastrophic event could occur and what measures can be taken to prevent similar disasters from happening in the future. In this article, we delve deeper into the details of this tragic incident and discuss the possible causes and ramifications.
On April 28, 1988, a routine inter-island flight operated by Aloha Airlines would turn into one of the most significant incidents in aviation history. Nearly one hundred people were on board the Boeing 737 aircraft bound for Honolulu from Hilo International airport, including five crew members and 90 passengers, unaware that the 55-minute journey would end with a massive explosion at 24,000 feet.
When the explosion occurred, crew members were serving drinks and snacks to the passengers, causing the cabin pressure to plummet, and the ceiling was blasted off the plane, ripping out a huge chunk of an otherwise welded plane. A large section of the plane’s fuselage followed, leaving dozens of passengers exposed to the elements. Tragically, flight attendant Clarabelle Lansing, 58, tumbled out of the damaged cabin into the abyss and was never found.
Captain Robert Schornstheime, 44, and First Officer Madeline Tompkins were battling to keep control of the plane as it rolled from side to side while dealing with engulfing cockpit noise and their controls going lost. Fellow crew members, including Michelle Honda and Jane Sato-Tomita, were hit by flying debris and were lying unconscious in a pool of blood. Passengers had to cling onto each other to avoid being dragged through the hole, with two large ceiling panels landing on tourists’ heads.
Despite the challenges, Captain Schornstheime managed to land the Aloha Airlines jet safely, even though it had an 18-feet hole in it, in Maui, only 13 minutes after the ordeal began. Eight of the 65 injured passengers were seriously wounded, with some suffering electric-shock burns from open wiring as well as broken bones, fractures, cerebral concussions, and lacerations across their bodies.
Investigators quickly started to determine the cause of the air disaster, as the pre-flight inspection had gone smoothly. It was concluded that the accident was due to a failure of the airline’s maintenance program designed to detect any damage to an aircraft in a thorough inspection conducted in darkness. A crack in a lap joint was overlooked. Airline management was also found to have inadequately supervised its maintenance force.
The National Transportation Safety Board took action against the issues by launching the National Aging Aircraft Research Program in 1991 to ensure strict inspection and maintenance requirements for high-use and high-cycle aircraft. Despite the failure, the safe landing was praised as exemplary by industry bosses, who were shocked that there was only one fatality. A memorial garden was inaugurated in 1995 at Honolulu International Airport in honor of Lansing.
The Aloha Airlines Flight 243 disaster remains a stark reminder of the essential need for safety in the skies. As the incident approaches its 35th anniversary, the lessons learned from it still have a significant impact on airplane safety procedures today in the aviation industry. It also highlights how a small unnoticed issue could lead to significant consequences, affecting lives, and the necessary care required during inspections.
