The Engine Explosion That Took Out All Flight Controls

Added: 2026-06-04

[00:00:00]A passenger jet carrying 296 people suddenly loses nearly all ability to steer after a catastrophic [music] failure in midair. In July 1989, United Airlines flight 232 is cruising toward Chicago [music] when the tail-mounted engine explodes. Shrapnel from the failure severs all three hydraulic [music] systems, a scenario engineers had considered nearly impossible. The crew quickly realizes [music] the aircraft is no longer responding to normal flight controls. With few options remaining, [music] the pilots begin using only changes in engine thrust to keep the aircraft airborne.

[00:00:34]>> [music] >> As the flight approaches Sioux City, Iowa, passengers brace for an emergency landing [music] while crews on the ground prepare for impact. The aircraft reaches the runway but rolls sharply during touchdown and breaks apart [music] in a massive fireball. Rescue teams rush into the wreckage as debris spreads across the airfield. Despite the severity of the crash, 184 of the 296 people on board survived.