United 232: 33 years later

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - Thirty-three years ago Monday, an event challenged and changed Siouxland forever. The crash of United Airlines Flight 232.

Captain Al Haynes, and his crew, managed to give first responders 30 minutes’ notice before the DC-10 tried to land at Sioux Gateway Airport.

That gave dozens of local rescue crews time to get to the airport.

The disintegration of the fan in the tail engine cut all of the plane’s hydraulic lines. So, the crew had to use the throttles on the two remaining engines to guide the plane to Sioux Gateway.

During the landing one of the plane’s wings dipped, touched the tarmac, resulting in the crash. But, thanks to the actions of the crew, and the Siouxland first responders, 184 of the 296 people on board the plane survived the crash.

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