Situational Analysis

Situational Analysis: Flight 232

Emily VanAusdal

Argosy University

Situational Analysis: Flight 232

On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 was on its way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, via Chicago. The flight started out smoothly, with an anticipated early arrival into Chicago. One hour into the two hour flight, engine #2, the tail-mounted engine exploded, taking out the DC-10’s hydraulics to the other two engines. This caused all flight controls to become incapacitated, placing approximately 296 people in mortal danger. The fate of the crew and passengers fell into the hands of the Captain, Al Haynes (see Appendix A for more information on Al Haynes), the copilot, Bill Records, and DC 10 flight training instructor, Denny Fitch (see Appendix B for more information on Denny Fitch).

Role of the Crew on Board and Situations that Needed More Attention

This paper will focus on the role of Captain Al Haynes, as aircraft captain and commander of flight 232. “A great leader knows that he cannot do everything and is able to delegate effectively.” (Yoskovitz, 2007) Captain Haynes had many responsibilities to attend to as commander of the flight. Some of them were:

1. Ensure efficient and smooth operations of both the aircraft and flight crew.

2. Safely fly the aircraft from departure to destination.

3. Time management

4. Effectively communicate with Air Traffic Control.

Pilots also have to be smart enough to tackle all kinds of issues in any kind of environment. To achieve this kind of effectiveness and professionalism, they have to behold two main character traits: integrity and strength. Integrity is essential as this job requires a high degree of honesty, and strength is needed to resist external pressures in order to ensure smooth operation. Making operational decisions at the right time is also an important aspect of their job and requires courage to modify any such decision as everything in the aircraft is dependent on...