Al Haynes

Haynes lost his draft deferment while taking a semester off from Texas A&M, while the United States was engaged in the Korean War, and decided to join the US Navy.[6] He spent four years in the Navy, serving as a pilot.

In 1956, Haynes joined United Airlines after his wartime service.[1] [7] For most of his career with United Airlines he served as a flight engineer or co-pilot, turning down offers of promotion, because they would have required moving from Seattle. [7] However, in 1985, he did accept a promotion to Captain, because he would approaching retirement soon, and his retirement pay would be based on his pay in his last five years.

On July 19, 1989, Haynes was the Captain of United Airlines Flight 232, piloting a DC-10, a large three-engine airliner, carrying 296 passengers and crew.[8] The plane had left Denver for Chicago, with a final destination of Philadelphia, but experienced a catastrophic engine failure in its rear engine, which triggered a loss of hydraulic fluid. Without hydraulic fluid Haynes and his flight crew could not move the plane's flaps and rudder and almost all other control surfaces.

Without flight controls the plane began entering a right descending turn, a tendency that persisted for the rest of the flight.[8] Haynes reduced left engine thrust (#1), allowing differential thrust from the right engine (#3) to level the aircraft. [8]

An off-duty pilot, Dennis Edward Fitch, joined Haynes and his co-pilot, William Roy Records, and flight engineer Dudley Joseph Dvorak, on the flight-deck.[8]

The plane was diverted to Sioux City, for an emergency landing.[8] With his very limited ability to control the plane Haynes had difficulty lining up on a runway, and performing the crucial step of reducing speed and landing nose-up. Consequently the plane came in at almost twice the desired landing speed, with catastrophic damage to the airframe. The plane broke into pieces, on the runway, with remaining fuel bursting into flame.

184 people survived the crash-landing.[8] 32 died of smoke inhalation, 80 died of traumatic injuries. Haynes and his colleagues were trapped in the cockpit. Thirty minutes after the crash-landing rescuers identified the cockpit and rescued them, with minor injuries. Haynes believed five factors contributed to the degree of success in Sioux City; luck, communications, preparation, execution, and cooperation.[9]

Haynes returned to flight duty, after his recovery.

According to NPR, "Haynes is widely seen as a hero among aviation experts, akin to Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and his 'miracle on the Hudson.'"[10]

He was also a volunteer umpire for Little League Baseball for over 33 years and a stadium announcer for high school football for more that 25 years.[4][5] He was an umpire in the 1978 Little League World Series.[11]

Personal tragedy struck Haynes in 1997 when his oldest son Tony was killed in a motorcycle accident. Two years later his wife of 40 years, Darlene, died of a rare infection. [7]

He was referred to as a hero, but refused to say he was one. He gave all the credit to the flight attendants, whom he believed did not receive enough credit for the work they did.[12][13]