Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival (63 page)

Thompson, William H., 172, 227–28, 229, 230, 256, 257, 275, 283, 315

thrust, 55–56, 57, 126–27

“Tickle,”
see
titanium tetrachloride

Titanic
, 200, 295, 390
n

titanium, 85–88, 230

alloys of, 85, 158–59, 286, 314, 320, 333, 348

billets of, 160–61, 184–87, 265, 338

casting of, 283

crystalline structures in, 87–88, 184–85, 285–86, 329, 332–33

defects in, 264–65, 314–22

double-melt process, 160, 187, 346

flaws and impurities in, 87–88, 158–61, 184–87, 200, 286, 333

melters of, 159

non-premium quality, 160

phases of, 286

pit (defect) in, 314–22, 325–29, 332–33, 336–37

premium quality, 160

processing with petroleum coke, 158

scrap, 159, 187

“sponge,” 158, 159

tetrachloride, 86–87, 158

Ti-6Al-4V alloy, 159

titanium dioxide (rutile), 86, 157

trace elements in, 161

triple-melt process, 160, 347

“upset” process, 161

Titanium
, 159

titanium dioxide, 86, 157

Titanium Metals of America (TIMET), 158–61, 184, 185, 187, 282–83, 333

Titanium Rotating Components Review Team, 363

titanium tetrachloride, 86–87, 158

Toronto, Ohio, 160

trackers (in morgue), 251–55, 267–70

Training Check Airman (TCA), 28–29, 33, 48

Transue, Jacqueline, 132, 306, 307

Transue, John, 31, 112, 118, 132, 153, 192, 205–6, 285, 289, 306–9, 335

Transue, Lindsey, 132, 307

Transue, Michelle, 132, 307

Trombello, Joseph, 14, 165–66, 262

Truesdale, Iowa, 279, 280, 286, 303

Tsao, Emil, 366

Tsao, Evan, 13, 36, 136, 177, 181–82, 213, 298

Tsao, Jeffrey, 366

Tsao, Sylvia, 13, 36, 136, 177, 178, 181–82, 202, 213, 298, 366

Tucker, James W., 185, 282, 285

turbine wheels, 55, 56, 58–59, 88, 126–27, 347

ultrasound inspections, 185–86, 285–86, 327–29, 348

ultraviolet light, 326–27

uncontained rotor bursts, 346–47

United Airlines, 12–13, 143, 173, 206–7, 243–44, 258–63, 281–82, 293, 298–300, 310–16, 320, 326–29, 337, 341, 348–49, 357, 362, 396
n

United Airlines Aircraft Maintenance, San Francisco (SAM), 29–30, 33, 37–39, 62, 63, 94

assistance from, 29–30, 33, 37–39, 62, 63, 94

United Airlines CF6 Overhaul Shop, 326–29

United Airlines Crisis Communications Plan, 245–46

United Airlines Flight 173 crash (1978), 243–44

United Airlines Flight 232:

boarding lounge for, 52, 109, 155–56, 202, 218, 247, 349

Chicago as destination of, 8, 11, 13, 50, 155, 213, 222, 298, 357

children on, 10–11, 13, 40, 47, 50, 53, 63, 77, 97, 111, 118, 119, 136, 155, 175–82, 204, 211–12, 241, 252, 271–74, 309–10;
see also
infants

deadheading crew on, 7–8, 27–28, 48, 209

Denver as origin of, 26, 52, 155–57, 202, 218, 247, 271–72

final approach of,
see
impact

flight attendants on, 4–5, 8, 11–12, 26–28, 42, 155, 204, 315–16

flight path of,
33

in-flight meal of, 4, 157

in-flight movie of, 3–4, 15, 216

passenger total for, 51, 174, 281

preflight safety announcement for, 12

United Airlines Flight 232 crash (1989):

as airline crash, 2, 6, 12–22, 31, 33, 34, 42, 52, 60, 68–74, 81–82, 87–96, 105–7, 111–36, 144–45, 149, 151–53, 164, 167, 172, 173–75, 181–83, 189, 195, 198–99, 200

air traffic controllers in, 16–17, 21–24, 64–74, 88–90, 95–96, 98–99, 114, 190–91, 220–24

alert status for, 22–23, 114, 115, 139–40

altitude in, 13, 18, 27, 36, 65–66, 67, 68, 80

ambulance services in, 22, 102, 114, 117, 119, 128–29, 130, 137, 144–45, 152–53, 154, 201, 203, 204, 206, 211, 219, 249, 290

ash fallout from, 99, 102, 108, 117, 121, 134, 143, 180–81

asymmetric thrust used in, 10, 32, 33

autopilot in, 21, 32

banjo found in, 206–7

bodies recovered from, 120–24, 128, 137–38, 147–48, 167, 183, 197, 206, 216–18, 223, 224, 231, 301, 302–3, 334, 341, 364, 366

body identification in, 31, 48, 54, 120–24, 128, 137–38, 145, 225–26

bracing in, 46–47, 62, 63, 77, 81–82, 91, 103–4, 111, 112, 132–33, 157, 162, 164, 176, 178, 179, 187, 193, 212, 248, 273, 283–84, 324, 325, 329–30, 340

brakes in, 19, 24–25

briefing cards used in, 63, 110–11

burn injuries from, 31, 94, 101, 103, 133–34, 181, 189, 192, 201–2, 208, 210, 213, 219–20, 241, 267, 268, 269, 270–71, 290–91, 306, 331–32, 334, 359

casualties and injuries in, 20, 22, 54, 91–97, 102–9, 119–20, 129–30, 136–38, 146, 147, 153, 167, 195–96, 201–12, 289, 335

casualty lists for, 212–14, 357

children in, 13, 15, 40, 47, 50, 53, 63, 77, 97, 111, 118, 119, 136, 175–82, 204, 211–12, 241, 252, 271–74, 309–10

cockpit voice recorder in, 34, 173, 191

collapsed bulkhead in, 163

compass heading in, 18, 67, 68

computer tape in, 102, 128, 148, 215

control wheel in,
see
yoke

cornfield in landing of, 70, 80, 94
n
, 101, 102, 109, 115, 117, 133–34, 135, 145, 146, 148, 153, 164, 171, 177, 178, 180–83, 188, 189, 192–96, 199, 202, 224, 233, 288, 331

court testimony on, 77, 262–65

cranes used in, 151–52, 259

crew activities in, 7–10, 13–15, 19–21, 32–34, 37–39, 50–51, 62–74, 80–81, 88–95, 98, 150–52, 204, 206, 262

crew extracted from cockpit, 150–53

damage to tail, 8–9,
9
, 43–48, 62, 82, 96, 97, 107, 108, 109, 143, 187, 194, 203, 215–16, 229, 231, 233, 238, 240, 249, 256, 257–59, 261, 292, 297, 303–4, 347, 380
n

date of (July 19, 1989), 3, 243

death toll in, 20, 97

debris from, 82, 83, 93, 95, 99, 101–2, 108, 117–18, 130, 134, 143–53, 166–67, 168, 178, 180–81, 201–6, 221, 229, 238, 241, 243, 249, 274, 275–81, 293–97, 311–15

descent of, 9,
9
, 18, 51, 88–90, 114–15, 130, 330

disintegration in, 10, 82, 90–93, 100–103, 109, 133–34, 152

ditching considered in, 22, 31, 33, 43

elevator damaged in, 43–44, 45–46, 54, 62

emergency exits in, 42, 47, 49, 54, 78, 79, 80, 103, 111–12, 163, 248

engine No. 1 in, 10, 27, 80–81, 111, 230, 234, 382
n
, 395
n

engine No. 2 explodes in, 4–29, 32–37, 33, 46–48, 60–62, 69, 85–88, 93, 95, 125–27, 156–57, 182, 187, 205, 217, 227–34, 228, 238, 247, 248, 257–64, 272–78, 285, 293–94, 296, 303–4, 320–30, 346–49, 355

engine No. 3 in, 10, 27, 28–29, 80–81, 97, 111, 230, 234, 382n, 395n

engine or engines firewalled in, 10, 80–81

escape from, 83, 100–101, 104–9, 134–35, 163–67, 168, 177–79, 188–89, 194–95, 249–50, 273–74, 284–85, 330–32

evacuation procedures in, 33, 45, 70, 80, 135

explosions in, 118, 178–79, 181, 288, 332

families of victims in, 168, 237–38, 253, 266, 267–68, 341

fatalities in, 20, 31, 48, 77, 96, 97, 102, 107, 113–14, 118, 119, 120–24, 129–31, 137–38, 143–44, 145, 147, 148, 167, 168, 177, 188, 190, 197, 201–2

final briefing in, 109–11, 132, 324, 325

final moments of,
see
impact

financial compensation for, 262–63, 340–41

fireball in, 11, 96, 113, 130, 133, 141, 192, 213, 306

fire fighting in,
see
fire fighters

first anniversary of, 150, 269, 344, 350–55

flaps and slats in,
9
, 34–35, 229

flight attendants in, 16, 26–28, 40–42, 48–49, 69, 74–79, 81, 101, 103, 108, 110–13, 135, 155–56, 157, 193, 195, 202–4, 209, 212–14, 272–73, 316, 324, 340

flight controls in, 10, 21, 29–30, 32, 62, 94–95, 234

flight data recorder in, 15, 21, 34, 132, 173–74, 216–17, 278

flight path in, 18, 32–33,
33
, 62–63, 67, 68, 73

food and shelter for victims of, 122–24, 149, 168–71, 219–20, 238–39

forensic dentistry for, 239, 254–55, 265–66

forensic pathology for, 120, 226, 235, 238, 266, 316

Grassy Knoll in, 145–46, 147, 180–81, 191, 194–96, 203, 217, 353–54

grid coordinates of, 236–37, 294–96

helicopters used for, 119, 130, 146, 183, 201, 221, 279, 280, 281

horizontal stabilizer in, 21, 45–46, 54, 233, 380
n

hospitals used for, 23, 31, 75, 115, 119–20, 130, 142, 153, 167, 169, 174, 188, 189, 196, 207–14, 219, 250, 258, 260, 289, 290–91, 298, 306, 338–39, 359

hydraulics lost in, 10, 15, 19, 21, 27–30, 32,
33
, 37–39, 62–63, 72–73, 85–86, 94–95, 231, 234, 256–64, 296, 303–6, 311, 318, 325, 349

impact in, 2, 25, 77, 80-83, 90, 93–98, 100–103, 104, 112–13, 133–34, 141–42, 150, 176–77, 179–80, 187–88, 193–94, 248–49, 273, 283–84, 330

infants in, 13, 53, 77, 111, 136, 175–82, 241, 309–10

interviews for, 119, 148, 169, 174, 188, 213, 258, 315–16, 350

jump seats in, 78, 81, 82

landing gear in, 45, 63–64, 65, 80, 97, 216, 240, 330

lawsuits on, 77, 262–63

left turn made in, 62–63, 65

left wing in, 95, 98

main spar damaged in, 95

maintenance assistance for, 29–30, 33, 37–39, 62, 63, 94

mapping of, 121, 122, 228, 236–37, 294–96, 303

maximum bank angle in, 10, 14, 30, 36

media coverage of, 25, 70–71, 74, 119, 120, 123, 137, 139, 143–50, 169–72, 174, 188, 218–19, 221–22, 224, 245, 266, 290, 291, 304, 306, 339, 350, 356, 357

money found in, 108, 128, 134, 143, 153–54, 165, 180–81, 183, 202, 212, 238

morgue for, 120–24, 128, 137–38, 234–55, 265–71, 303, 341

nose pitch in, 9, 19, 21, 29, 36, 50–51, 117, 151, 164, 171–72, 177, 194, 200–201, 238

NTSB Go Team for, 73–74, 171–75, 213–16, 223, 227–34

NTSB investigation of, 18, 33, 38, 72–74, 87, 95, 127, 154, 158, 171–75, 213–16, 222, 223, 227–34,
228
, 244–46, 257–64, 275–85, 292–96, 301–5, 310, 313, 316–22, 327–28, 335, 337, 345–48, 362, 379
n
, 392
n

paper debris in, 98–99, 102, 108, 117, 128, 130, 134, 143, 153, 165, 201, 215, 221, 232, 301

passenger briefing in, 43, 74, 162

passengers writing notes in, 176

pathologists for, 54, 120–24, 128, 137–38, 225–26, 234–55, 265–71, 302–3, 316, 341

personal effects from, 48, 205–7, 252, 267–68, 299

photo of rescue from, 144–45, 211–12

photos of, 116, 122, 139, 140–49, 211–12, 221–22, 240, 241, 251–52, 267, 269, 304, 364

pilot announcements in, 62, 66, 69, 76, 78, 79, 91, 109–10, 115, 157, 324, 325

pineapples in, 108, 128, 153, 212

police used in, 116–17, 140, 142, 145, 146, 225

radar tracking of, 17, 20,
33
, 64–65

radio communications for, 114–15, 117, 140, 142, 146, 190–93

radio navigation aid in, 68

reconstruction of empennage, 258–59, 303–4

religious faith in, 6, 7, 14, 36, 43, 46, 75, 77, 157, 182–83, 187, 193, 201, 204–5, 247–48, 269, 270, 272, 298–301, 302, 341–45, 350–52, 357

responsibility for, 261–64, 281–82, 304–5

right turns made in, 62, 67