Safety Board Blames United, Boeing, FAA in Flight 811 Deaths

Federal safety officials today concluded that failures by the airline, the manufacturer and the government all contributed to the loss of a cargo door on United Airlines Flight 811 over the Pacific Ocean last year. Nine passengers were blown out of the aircraft to their deaths.

The National Transportation Safety Board voted 3-0 to blame United Airlines, Boeing, and the Federal Aviation Administration in the Feb. 24, 1989, accident, which has already led to government-ordered alterations in Boeing 747 cargo doors.

The board said United failed to properly inspect the door of the airliner after its electrical system failed in December, 1988, and mechanics had to operate it manually.

Boeing and the FAA were cited for failing to order corrective measures after another cargo door malfunctioned on a 1987 Pan American flight from London to New York.