On July 19, 1989, Captain Denny Fitch was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 232, simply returning home after a week at his job as a pilot trainer in Denver, enjoying the ride at 37,000 feet. That was until a catastrophic failure in one of the engines cut all hydraulic controls in the plane – a problem so unthinkable that there was no procedure for dealing with it. Fitch volunteered his assistance to the cockpit, and with Capt. Al Haynes and the rest of the flight crew, guided the plane to Sioux City, Iowa without the use of any of the systems required to control the plane. Although one-hundred-twelve perished in the terrifying crash landing, one-hundred-eighty-four people survived because of the incredible teamwork and leadership of the flight crew and the control tower team. Fitch was commended by President George Bush and in Senate Resolution 174 of the 101st Congress for his outstanding effort, poise and courage in assisting the crew in a difficult emergency landing at Sioux City. Captain Fitch is now a safety consultant to NASA as a member of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel and has also been inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
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There is No “I” in Teamwork
If You Think You Can, You Will
