Pilots Thought Bomb Had Ripped Hole in United Jet

The pilots of the United Airlines jet that limped to an emergency landing after a gaping hole ripped open on one side were convinced that a bomb had exploded on board as they struggled to stay aloft, government documents showed Wednesday.

The dramatic 25-minute return of United Flight 811 to Honolulu from 22,000 feet over the Pacific on Feb. 24 was tracked closely by air traffic controllers who at times feared that the jetliner would have to ditch in the ocean, according to a transcript of communications between the plane and controllers.

“We’re at, ah, Mayday. We’ve gotta come back,” came the first word from the jetliner. “We had a bomb or something go off in the airplane. . . . May go in the water.”

Ruled Out Bomb

Investigators have since ruled out the possibility of a bomb and have suggested that a cargo door blew open after a latch failed to work properly, causing a 10-foot-wide hole to open in the forward part of the aircraft. Nine passengers were swept to their deaths.

Seconds after the Mayday message, crew members provided the first indication of the seriousness of the problem.

“We don’t know what’s going on. Ah, looks like we’ve lost No. 3 engine and we’re descending rapidly, ah, coming back,” the pilot reported. “ . . . Ah, possible bomb, ah, and, ah, descending rapidly. May go in the water.”

From the transcript, both Capt. David Cronin and co-pilot Al Slader, as well as the controllers directing the jetliner, were worried that the Boeing 747 would be unable to make it back.

Twice the pilots asked controllers if they had the jet on radar, apparently relieved to hear that controllers were tracking them in case a water rescue was needed.

About six minutes after the accident, Cronin had begun getting better control of the aircraft after descending to 9,000 feet.

“It appears that we’ve, ah, we have lost No. 3 engine and we’ve lost . . . we’re not getting full power out of No. 4. We’re, ah, not able to hold an altitude right now. We’re dumping fuel, so I think we’re gonna be able to hold an altitude shortly,” the pilots reported when the jetliner was 60 miles from the airport.

The drama ended about 20 minutes later with the Boeing 747 safely on the ground and the pilots reporting: “United 811 heavy, we’re evacuating the airplane.”

Controllers in the Honolulu airport tower could see passengers jumping from the stricken craft.

“He’s on the ground . . . (a) big hole in the right cargo door--I mean a big hole,” said the controller who had directed the plane back to the airport.