April 28, 1988 was one of the scariest days in airline history. Aloha Airlines Flight 243 suffered a terrifying mid-air disaster when part of the plane’s fuselage literally ripped open at 24,000 feet. Tragically, flight attendant Clarabelle Lansing was pulled from the aircraft and lost her life.
Amazingly, despite the massive hole in the plane and the chaos onboard, the pilots pulled off an emergency landing and saved the rest of the passengers and crew. It was a moment that changed aviation forever, leading to tighter rules about aircraft inspections and safety.
Fun fact: The Boeing 737 involved was 19 years old and had made over 89,000 flights by that point, way higher than typical for commercial planes. After this incident, the FAA cracked down on how aging airplanes are inspected.
Amazingly, despite the massive hole in the plane and the chaos onboard, the pilots pulled off an emergency landing and saved the rest of the passengers and crew. It was a moment that changed aviation forever, leading to tighter rules about aircraft inspections and safety.
Fun fact: The Boeing 737 involved was 19 years old and had made over 89,000 flights by that point, way higher than typical for commercial planes. After this incident, the FAA cracked down on how aging airplanes are inspected.
