Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232

Capt. Haynes:
Denver Tower United Flight 232 ready for take off.

Capt. Haynes:
Denver Tower, roger that, clear for take off runway three five right... and you have a good one too.

Gary Brown:
RICH! RICH! Get the comm. trailer out to Gateway I think we got something go'n on. Heidi? This one's real.

Chris Porter:
232, sir that runway is closed, that's 2-2 sir, but if you have to you can line up on it.

Capt. Haynes:
Well we're pretty well lined up on it now. How long is that runway?

Chris Porter:
232 that that'll work, it's uh sixty six hundred feet, and the equipment's coming off.

Capt. Haynes:
232, roger.

Chris Porter:
Souix City, 232, wind is zero one zero, one one, and you are clear to land on any runway.

Haynes:
You wanna be particular and make it a runway? Say the wind one more time?

Porter:
Wind zero one zero one one. Also be advised that there is nothing but open field at the end of the runway so rollout will not be a problem.

Haynes:
232, roger. We'll be with you very shortly, thanks alot for your help... a hundred and fifty miles an hour, this is the hottest damn tricycle in the world... ease the power back now.

Gary Brown:
She's down and burning! It's a big jet fuel fire, Bob says we got plenty of foam but not water, we need every truck full!

Haynes:
What've ya got there, Dudley?

Dudley:
See page I-63.

Haynes:
We have loss of all, repeat all hydraulic systems, which means we have no elevator control, almost none.

Dudley:
HA!

Haynes:
That is affirmative, we'd appreciate all the help you can get. WHATD'YA GOT DUDLEY?

Dudley:
(reading) Main bus, main backup, main bus backup the hell it doesnt say anything about all 3 out! It's not supposed to happen!

Zubinski:
Sioux Tower... say again please? Two three two heavy? Confirm me heavy? Understand a DC-10 squawking 7700. Roger, standing by.

Zubinski:
Minniapolis Center get set for an emergency hand off.

Porter:
DC-10?

Zubinski:
Yeah. Tail engine's blown out lost all his hydraulics, only control he's got is right and left throttle. Little bastard's circling high and we're looking for a place to land.

Zubinski:
No, you'll do fine. I'm right behind you.

Haynes:
What's it say Dudley?

Dudley:
See page I-63...

Dudley:
I'M *ON* I-63!

Porter:
United 232 there is an interstate that runs north to south, to the east side of the airport, its a 4 lane interstate.

Haynes:
Rodger that Sioux, we're just passing it now. We're gonna try for the airport.

Porter:
United 232 rodger, and advise when you have runway 31 in sight.

Haynes:
I don't!

Haynes:
I see the tower. Sioux City, we'll be with you very shortly, thanks alot for your help.

Gary Brown:
DC-10 what is that like 200 people?

Zubinski:
Rescue One, more like 300, and 80,000lbs of jet fuel.

Gary:
Ok we're gonna need *lots* more foam, and vehicles.

Gary:
You tell em we'll be ready.

Gary:
Copy that aircraft on final approach, we're rolling every unit in the tri-state area.

Porter:
Rodger, you got about 15 minutes to get em here.

Gary:
Attention all units this is Rescue One we have an alert 3 I say again an Alert 3, it's a DC-10 eleven miles out, may not be able to make the runway. Roll all units this is *not* a drill I repeat this is *NOT* a drill!

Haynes:
(into the intercom) Ok folks, Brace, Brace, Brace!