Joined: May 2005

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Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

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A bit more background material: I attended a lecture given by Captain Haynes at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum after the museum regular hours were over. This was about a year after the accident. The Langley Imax Theater was packed with aviation geeks and no small number of pilots. They played the whole radio traffic exchange and then that video of the plane doing cartwheels down the runway. Then they introduced Captain Haynes.

Everyone in the auditorium stood up and applauded, giving him a five minute standing ovation. This was no ordinary audience. These were his peers in the aviation community. Note that just across the street is the FAA headquarters. I have little doubt that there were more than a few FAA people there too. And we all applauded.

This failure was later recreated with multiple crews in a flight simulator. Only a small fraction got anywhere near the airport, and only a couple actually made it anywhere near the runway. This was literally a command performance that has not been replicated since.

Those hydraulic fuses that they installed in the MD-11 to prevent total loss of hydraulic fluid, are officially called "Haynes fuses" in his honor. It was a terrible accident, but it also turned out to happen at the very best time. Only a week before, the Iowa National Guard had practiced for a large aircraft crash at that airport.

The time was also fortuitous because hospitals in the region were approaching a shift change, so they held everyone there in preparation for the influx of casualties. The national guard was completely ready and practiced for this event. If it had to happen, they couldn't have chosen a better place. There were many heroes that day. Let us all be thankful they were there.

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

Likes: 21

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

Likes: 21

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

Likes: 21

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

Likes: 21

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

Likes: 21

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

Likes: 21

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

Likes: 21

The men in that cockpit were clearly all of exceptional character. I'm certain that every one of them knew that their chances of surviving were lower than their passengers, yet the man most responsible for the landing wasn't even buckled in. I'd be surprised if anyone in that cockpit thought they would ever see another day. As to the reason that they went to the airport, had they made any attempt to do this anywhere else, there would have been no response team ready to deal with the results.

That the pilots were aware of this is evident with their request to have the teams stationed at the far end of the runway, to reduce response time. They knew it was going to be bad, and they didn't expect to survive it. Still, they did what they could for their passengers and crew.

To all the armchair quarterbacks, this is called the impossible landing for a reason. For any of you to think that you could do better is the height of ignorance. Everyone thinks they're the best, and only need the opportunity to prove it. The truth is that people who are that good don't want any such opportunities.

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 104,808

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The photographs taken by police investigators detailed stunning pictures. One with a race horse that fell out of the storage in the plane was wandering in corn field, dazed but alive. One picture showed the plane so hot, you could see through it and beyond as if it were glass. Stunning shots. One with a woman and a child still buckled in their seats with both head and feet missing. The mother was still holding on tight to the child. A runway full of clothing, shoes, plane parts. The forensic crew spent many long hours in a hanger set up as a crime lab and morgue to ensure everyone was identified. Sioux City Police, Iowa DCI, were incredible and professional.