A fuselage failure over Hawaii
Open event
On 28 April 1988 about 18 feet of the upper fuselage of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 tore away at 24,000 feet between Hilo and Honolulu, after fatigue cracks along a lap joint linked up. The crew landed at Kahului on Maui 13 minutes later, and 94 of the 95 people on board survived, but flight attendant Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing was swept out of the aircraft and never found.
3 video perspectives
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49:59
This full Mayday episode reconstructs Aloha Airlines Flight 243 on 28 April 1988, when an explosive decompression tore away part of the 737's upper fuselage at 24,000 feet over Hawaii.
Published 27 May 2021
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20:37
This shorter Mayday cut covers what happened after Aloha Airlines Flight 243 landed on Maui on 28 April 1988 with part of its roof missing.
Published 7 Jul 2021
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10:20
On 28 April 1988 Aloha Airlines Flight 243 lost about 18 feet of its upper fuselage at 24,000 feet.
Published 30 Oct 2026