Captain Al Haynes has Flown West (UA232)

RetiredNWA · Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:41 am

Folks,

It brings me no pleasure to announce that Captain Al Haynes, the Pilot in Command of United Airlines flight 232, has flown west. He passed yesterday surrounded by family at a hospital in Seattle.

Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

TheFlyingDisk · Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:46 am

May he rest in peace.

KFTG · Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:53 am

Rest in peace, Al. Will be a somber day at TK for sure.

777Jet · Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:55 am

Rest In Peace Captain Al Haynes.

ltbewr · Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:55 am

He and his crew likely did one of the greatest feats of airmanship and CRM, despite having a severely crippled aircraft. I suspect he will have a large funeral with those who survived, other pilots turning out to honor him as he should be. By the way, it was 30 years ago on 7/19, when this occured. He was 87 at the time of his death. He became a major advocate for aircraft safety and an inspiration to many.

Ronaldo747 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:43 am

Fair winds and blue skies. RIP Captain.

CHRISBA35X · Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:48 am

RIP Captain. A true hero of aviation and a great man to boot.

SWADawg · Mon Aug 26, 2019 12:16 pm

I had the honor and pleasure of spending time with Captain Haynes one on one several times over the years. One of the most genuine and humble men I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He shaped how I conduct myself as a professional Airline Pilot. RIP, Fair Winds and Blue Skies sir.

B595 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 12:28 pm

Salute. A remarkable effort on the flight deck that day.

UPNYGuy · Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:13 pm

RIP Captain.

flee · Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:21 pm

RIP Captain Haynes - I am sure you will keep and eye on us from up there!

UA744 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:38 pm

A sad day for aviation. Captain Haynes and his crew were faced with one of the most difficult situations for which they were not trained and amazingly managed to save 185 lives. RIP.

Dominion301 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:44 pm

RIP to a hero.

I remember the tv movie that was made a couple of years later starring Charlton Heston as Cpt. Haynes, which was very well done.

cathay747 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 1:52 pm

He has slipped the surly bonds of earth, and is dancing the skies on laughter-silvered wings...

Godspeed and RIP to a TRUE pilot who demonstrated unbelievable airmanship including a textbook example of CRM.

Avi8r747 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 2:06 pm

I have always looked up to him as a true professional. He inspired many aviators, and will be missed. Be at peace Captain, your legacy will never be forgotten

johnboy · Mon Aug 26, 2019 2:27 pm

Not sure why people wouldn’t be respectful. Is that a thing now?

readytotaxi · Mon Aug 26, 2019 2:59 pm

A real professional, another reason we will always have a human being in the cockpit. Enjoy your flight Captain.

TXRoadMan · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:10 pm

Softly call the muster... RIP and Gig ‘em, Captain.

F9Animal · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:11 pm

RetiredNWA wrote:
Folks,

It brings me no pleasure to announce that Captain Al Haynes, the Pilot in Command of United Airlines flight 232, has flown west. He passed yesterday surrounded by family at a hospital in Seattle.

Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

My heart hurts! He was such a great and inspiring person. I am so thankful to have had the chance to meet him, and listen to one of his presentations. Fly High Al, and thank you for all you did here on this planet. He was heavily involved in Little League, and I am going to make a donation in his name.

F9Animal · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:12 pm

johnboy wrote:
Not sure why people wouldn’t be respectful. Is that a thing now?

Unfortunately, it is. But, I am hopeful we wouldn't see disrespect to Al Haynes. He was a wonderful inspiration to many.

FlyHossD · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:16 pm

SWADawg wrote:
I had the honor and pleasure of spending time with Captain Haynes one on one several times over the years. One of the most genuine and humble men I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He shaped how I conduct myself as a professional Airline Pilot. RIP, Fair Winds and Blue Skies sir.

Well said.

I also had the opportunity to chat with him at length some years ago as we were seated together on flight to SEA and I also found him to be a humble man. Rest in peace, Captain Haynes.

evanbu · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:46 pm

F9Animal wrote:
johnboy wrote:
Not sure why people wouldn’t be respectful. Is that a thing now?

Unfortunately, it is. But, I am hopeful we wouldn't see disrespect to Al Haynes. He was a wonderful inspiration to many.

“He ate my crew meal one time”

-Somebody, probably.

In all seriousness, I was fortunate enough to meet Al at one of his speeches in Council Bluffs, Iowa when I was in high school. I was amazed at how he and the rest of his crew were able to keep calm as they faced insurmountable odds trying to land a crippled DC-10 in Sioux City. The aviation community lost a hero on Sunday.

Redd · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:48 pm

A Captain in one of the great aviation stories in history, I read about him as a kid and always admired the job he and the crew did. Blue skies Capt. Haynes!

spinkid · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:54 pm

He will be missed by many. A great example of a pilot. For those not familiar with him, Look up United Airlines Crash from 1989. flight #232.
I know this crash changed a lot in the aviation industry including recommending that flight attendants not wear flammable Nylons.

ILNFlyer · Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:55 pm

Redd wrote:
A Captain in one of the great aviation stories in history, I read about him as a kid and always admired the job he and the crew did. Blue skies Capt. Haynes!

I'll second that, except the incident occurred during my adulthood. I have nothing but respect for him and the job his crew did that fateful day. IIRC there was a documentary on the crash on youtube, including interviews with him where he stated "as the flight deck went into the cornfield, a strange thought entered my mind....they really do grow corn this tall in Iowa....." or something to that effect.

BAINY3 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:29 pm

KFTG wrote:
Rest in peace, Al. Will be a somber day at TK for sure.

Might be a dumb question but what was his connection to TK?

macsog6 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:47 pm

Carry on, Captain Haynes. The sky is always blue now. We have lost a hero.

Western727 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 5:31 pm

readytotaxi wrote:
A real professional, another reason we will always have a human being in the cockpit. Enjoy your flight Captain.

I didn't realize that UA named a plane after him. While certainly a noble gesture, I'm slightly surprised that it wasn't a -10 that was named after him and instead either a 727 or 737 classic (based on the windshield in the above image). Can anyone share the story? I wasn't able to find anything on Google. TIA.

In any case...thank you, Capt. Haynes, for teaching so much to so many.

nikeherc · Mon Aug 26, 2019 5:49 pm

Indeed a great loss, but what a life well-lived. Captain Haynes, Captain Denny Fitch, First Officer Records and Second Officer Dvorak were all heroes in my book. In spite of never having met, Captains Fitch and Haynes pulled off one of the greatest feats of airmanship imaginable. Their cockpit resource management should provide a lesson to all who fly. It is very sad that both of them are no longer with us. Unfortunately, I was unable find information on the status of the other two flight crew members.

CairnterriAIR · Mon Aug 26, 2019 5:54 pm

Clear skies Captain. You are forever a legend and a hero.

BeowulfShaeffer · Mon Aug 26, 2019 5:58 pm

TXRoadMan wrote:
Softly call the muster... RIP and Gig ‘em, Captain.

Here.
Thanks and Gig 'Em, Captain.

metaldirtnskin · Mon Aug 26, 2019 6:04 pm

Capt. Haynes came to speak at the college where I was in flight training quite a few years ago. Surely there are few better illustrations of CRM than UA 232. Hats off to him.

dtw9 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 6:09 pm

The man sure endured a lot of heartache in his life. Lost his wife of 40 years to a ruptured colon. His daughter had a bone marrow transplant and his 40 year old son was killed in a motorcycle crash. May God finally put him a ease. God speed Al Haynes

Western727 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:40 pm

Western727 wrote:
readytotaxi wrote:
A real professional, another reason we will always have a human being in the cockpit. Enjoy your flight Captain.

I didn't realize that UA named a plane after him. While certainly a noble gesture, I'm slightly surprised that it wasn't a -10 that was named after him and instead either a 727 or 737 classic (based on the windshield in the above image). Can anyone share the story? I wasn't able to find anything on Google. TIA.

In any case...thank you, Capt. Haynes, for teaching so much to so many.

UPDATE: Turns out that I was mistaken; the named "aircraft" was a museum piece at the Mid America Museum of Aviation & Transportation, and not an actual UA jet: https://siouxcityjournal.com/multimedia ... 2f8.html#7

southwest1675 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:45 pm

They should name a 777 after him.

DocLightning · Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:50 pm

Positive rate, gear up. Fair skies and godspeed, Captain.

AndrewJM70 · Mon Aug 26, 2019 10:20 pm

The airmanship and courage shown that day by Al and his crew was staggering. Rest in peace Captain Haynes.

DDR · Mon Aug 26, 2019 11:39 pm

God Speed Captain Haynes.

Acey559 · Tue Aug 27, 2019 12:10 am

BAINY3 wrote:
KFTG wrote:
Rest in peace, Al. Will be a somber day at TK for sure.

Might be a dumb question but what was his connection to TK?

The whole code is DENTK (Denver Center for Training and Knowledge), which is where the pilot’s and some FAs train.

Indeed I’m sure things will not quite be the same. I just went through basic indoc and we spoke heavily of UA232. United is extremely proud of Captain Haines and the legacy he has left (rightfully so) and having lost him will leave a hole. God bless him and the entire crew of Flight 232.

HP69 · Tue Aug 27, 2019 12:11 am

N292UX · Tue Aug 27, 2019 12:18 am

RIP Captain Haynes.

TheFlyingDisk · Tue Aug 27, 2019 12:49 am

southwest1675 wrote:
They should name a 777 after him.

Agree wholeheartedly with this. Make it a 77W.

exFWAOONW · Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:45 am

I remember watching UA232 and was stunned to hear people walked away from that. Godspeed Captain.

aemoreira1981 · Tue Aug 27, 2019 5:19 am

southwest1675 wrote:
They should name a 777 after him.

Either their next B77W or their next B78X. Haynes, who was 87, was a living example of the value of CRM, along with Dennis Fitch (a nonrev on that flight who died in 2012), William Records, and Dudley Dvorak. Are Dvorak and Records still alive?

Luke1994 · Tue Aug 27, 2019 5:55 am

We lost a true hero today. He saved so many lives on 232 and it’s amazing so many survived given the circumstances the crew dealt with.

R.I.P. Captain.

OmerMaz · Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:15 am

As said by others, I belive that his name should be written upon a plane, or atleast something he said to continue his legacy.
RIP Al...When I saw him earlier in my life in "seconds from disaster" I was shocked by how cool and humane he was despite the mess that happened.

dampfnudel · Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:28 am

RIP Captain Haynes. A lot of people will be waking up this morning because of your heroic actions that day in 1989.

zkojq · Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:32 am

One of the greatest airman this world has ever seen. Safe and blessed journey, Captain.

InnsbruckFlyer · Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:52 am

aemoreira1981 wrote:
southwest1675 wrote:
They should name a 777 after him.

Either their next B77W or their next B78X. Haynes, who was 87, was a living example of the value of CRM, along with Dennis Fitch (a nonrev on that flight who died in 2012), William Records, and Dudley Dvorak. Are Dvorak and Records still alive?

As far as I know they are still alive. RIP, Captain. You inspired many people to be great pilots.

drmlnr1 · Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:01 am

Captain your remarkable feat of airmanship won’t be matched ever. Enjoy your flight captain we won’t forget you. You were of the people who inspired me to pursue aviation as a career. Godspeed

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