What happened
On April 28, 1988, an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737, registration N73711, was performing a scheduled flight from Hilo to Honolulu. During the climb to 24,000 feet, the crew experienced a sudden loud noise and a massive influx of wind into the cockpit. The structural failure caused the upper section of the fuselage to separate, leading to an explosive decompression. This event resulted in the death of one flight attendant, who was swept out of the aircraft through a hole in the fuselage. A second flight attendant sustained minor injuries, while a third suffered serious injuries from flying debris.
The captain took control of the aircraft as it became difficult to maneuver due to loose flight controls and an unstable attitude. During the emergency descent, the crew utilized oxygen masks to combat the loss of cabin pressure. As the aircraft approached Maui, the crew encountered further complications, including a failure of the nose landing gear to extend properly and the loss of the number one engine during the approach. Despite these mechanical issues, the pilot successfully landed the aircraft at Kahului Airport on runway 02.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary cause was the failure of the maintenance program to identify significant fatigue damage and disbonding in the aircraft's lap joints. This structural degradation led to the separation of the fuselage upper lobe. Additional contributing factors included inadequate oversight by both airline management and the FAA, as well as a lack of required inspections for specific lap joint vulnerabilities.