The Nation - News from April 27, 1989

United Airlines deviated from at least two recommended maintenance and operational procedures on the cargo door that tore off a Boeing 747 jetliner near Hawaii on Feb. 24, but whether these variances contributed to the accident that killed nine people has not been determined, a National Transportation Safety Board hearing was told. United Vice President Robert E. Doll, testifying in Seattle, said the airline somehow overlooked a Federal Aviation Administration recommendation that latch locks on Boeing 747s be inspected after each time the cargo door has been closed manually, rather than electrically.