- Alfred C. Haynes
Alfred C. "Al" Haynes (born 1932 in
Dallas, Texas ) is a formerairline pilot and a regular guest speaker at social events. Haynes gained international fame in 1989, when he, together withDennis E. Fitch , a United DC-10 flight instructor who was a passenger on the flight, limited the loss of lives by crash-landingUnited Airlines Flight 232 , a damagedDC-10 jetliner, at Sioux City Airport.Haynes attended
Texas A&M University , where he became a member of the university's corp of cadets. He took one semester off to learn aboutaviation at a naval station.In 1956, he graduated from aviation school and joined
United Airlines , eventually climbing up the airline's pilots' ranks until he became a main captain. He started flying for United as aBoeing 727 co-pilot, and was later promoted toDC-8 and DC-10 co-pilot, before becoming a captain on the Boeing 727. Haynes later became a DC-10 captain. As a worker for United, Haynes was based atSeattle, Washington .On July 19, 1989, Haynes became famous for his role in the events during a DC-10 flight headed to
Chicago, Illinois fromDenver, Colorado . With Haynes as captain, the airliner suffered damage to its number two engine which made all three of its hydraulic control systems fail [ [http://www.airdisaster.com/special/special-ua232.shtml AirDisaster.Com: Special Report: United Airlines Flight 232 ] ] . Haynes, with the help of Fitch (who had been a passenger on the plane but offered his help) crash-landed the airplane at theSioux City, Iowa airport, where a fuselage section ended up in an adjoining cornfield. While 112 people died, 184 survived.Haynes kept his sense of humor during the emergency, as recorded on the plane's CVR:
:Fitch: "I'll tell you what, we'll have a
beer when this is all done.:Haynes: "Well I don't drink, but I'll sure as hell have one.and later:
:Sioux City Approach: "United Two Thirty-Two Heavy, the wind's currently three six zero at one one; three sixty at eleven. You're cleared to land on any runway.":Haynes: " [laughter] Roger. [laughter] You want to be particular and make it a runway, huh?"
A more serious remark often quoted from Haynes was made when ATC asked the crew to make a left turn to keep them clear of the city:
:"Whatever you do, keep us away from the city."
After the crash, Haynes continued as an airline pilot until his retirement in 1991. Several United 232 survivors flew as passengers on his final flight as an airline pilot. Haynes received major media attention when
Charlton Heston played him in a 1992 movie "A Thousand Heroes ". The story of Flight 232 was famous worldwide, and Haynes started speaking about it at lunches and meetings. He also became apost traumatic stress disorder speaker and emergency situations trainer.In 1996, his oldest son died after a motorcycle accident, and his wife died in 1999. His daughter Laurie Haynes-Arguello (born 1964) gained media attention in 2001 when she was diagnosed with
aplastic anemia . By 2003, her disease was in an advanced stage and she required abone marrow transplant . Because his daughter's insurance would not cover the operation, Al Haynes needed help from theAir Line Pilots Association , which donated money and brought the Haynes' monetary plight to light. Many survivors of Flight 232 found out about the case and they also helped raise money. Eventually, his daughter was able to get the transplant.References
External links
* [http://www.airforceheritagefoundation.org/alhaynes.html Airforceheritage.org]
* [http://www.enetsociety.com/PDFs/CARPBCProudlyPresents06.pdf Enetsociety.com]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.