Aloha Airlines Flight 243
Aloha Airlines Flight 243 was a scheduled Aloha Airlines flight between Hilo and Honolulu in Hawaii. On April 28, 1988, a Boeing 737-297 serving the flight suffered extensive damage after an explosive decompression in flight, caused by part of the fuselage breaking due to poor maintenance and metal fatigue. The plane was able to land safely at Kahului Airport on Maui. The one fatality, flight attendant Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing, was ejected from the airplane. Another 65 passengers and crew were injured. The substantial damage inflicted by the decompression, the loss of one cabin crew member, and the safe landing of the aircraft established the incident as a significant event in the history of aviation, with far-reaching effects on aviation safety policies and procedures.
Fuselage remains after the emergency landing
Route of Aloha Airlines Flight 243. In blue, the original flight plan, and in red, the detour after the incident.
The involved aircraft in 1973 in a previous livery
The accident raised a heretofore unrecognized problem – the continuing airworthiness of aging aircraft. An 18-foot (5.5 m) gap opened in flight in the fuselage of the 19-year-old Boeing 737 operated by Aloha Airlines.
Aloha Airlines was an airline in the United States that operated passenger flights from 1946 until 2008. It was headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from its hub at Honolulu International Airport.
Aloha BAC 1-11 in 1967
Aloha Boeing 737-200 at Honolulu in May 1981
Aloha Pacific DC-10-30 at Taipei Airport in July 1984
A former Aloha Boeing 737-700WL in storage in Southend Airport, England, after the airline's 2008 demise
