On 24 Feb 1989, a Boeing 747-122 operated by United Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near near Hawaii. 9 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the aircraft's cargo door led to an explosive decompression in the cabin. This summary draws on records from Wikidata contributors; 11 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A Boeing 747 flying from Los Angeles to Sydney experienced an explosive decompression following a cargo door failure near Honolulu on February 24, 1989.
What happened
On February 24, 1989, United Airlines flight 811 was operating a scheduled international service from Los Angeles, with planned stops in Honolulu and Auckland, before reaching Sydney. While the Boeing 747 was in flight after departing from Honolulu, the aircraft's cargo door failed. This failure triggered an explosive decompression within the cabin. The sudden loss of pressure caused several rows of seating to be destroyed, resulting in the deaths of nine passengers. Following the incident, the crew managed to stabilize the aircraft and performed an emergency return to Honolulu, where the plane landed safely.
Investigation
Investigations into the incident focused on the structural failure of the cargo door mechanism during the flight phase following the departure from Honolulu.
Probable cause
The failure of the aircraft's cargo door led to an explosive decompression in the cabin.
