Jet Explosion in Midair: Landing in God’s Hands

Evening, February 24, 1989—Honolulu, Hawaii. Shari Peterson was one of the last passengers to board United Airlines Flight 811, bound for Auckland, New Zealand. Moving down the far aisle of the wide body jet, she scanned the middle section and saw her aisle seat, 9F, already occupied. The man looked comfortable, half-finished drink in hand. Shari smiled and politely held out her boarding card. “It appears you are in my seat.” Irritated, he flashed his own boarding card, also indicating 9F. His body language communicated he had no intention of giving up that seat.

“Please sit anywhere that’s available,” said a flight attendant, preparing the cabin for takeoff. Shari settled into 13F, an aisle seat four rows back.

An airline industry employee and frequent flier, Shari habitually kept her nose in a book or napped during a flight. But during takeoff, she noticed the first of several thoughts and experiences she’d never had while flying before—a keen interest in those nearby. In the middle section, the rows had four seats. To Shari’s left were a man, his wife, and their daughter. Shari turned to her right and glanced across the aisle. A man and woman chatted in the two seats by the window.

She considered taking a sedative for the long flight, when a thought popped into her head. Don’t. You may need to be alert if there’s an emergency. She turned to her book. A few minutes later, a loud voice interrupted. “Tighten your seatbelt. You’re in for the ride of your life.”

Shari darted her head around in search of the speaker, but the aisles were empty. Heart thumping, she yanked on the seatbelt and hooked her thumbs into it. Minutes later, she felt an unusual grinding sensation below her feet. That’s not right, her mind warned. The plane began to shake and vibrate. Then, an ominous thump and jolt.

At 24,000 feet, a cargo door ripped from Sheri’s side of the plane, along with the wall and flooring around seats G and F in rows Eight through Twelve. Ten seats containing eight humans were sucked into the dark sky over the Pacific Ocean. Whoosh. One second there, the next, vanished, leaving a giant void.

Beside the opening, a safety belt flapped furiously in a now-empty seat, indicating a ninth passenger had met the same fate. Seat 9F.

Shari’s assigned seat.

Three hundred and fifty mph winds swept through the aircraft. Shari stared in disbelief through the gaping hole to the black ocean. A service cart barreled past her and tumbled out, followed by swirling carry-on baggage and other unsecured items. Fighting for breath, Shari realized the deployed oxygen masks had ripped away and disappeared into the sky. Temperatures quickly dropped below zero.

The pilot immediately descended to 15,000 feet as the jet rocked and shuddered violently. Through the jagged hole, Shari saw the engine flaming as it emitted an earsplitting, hi-pitched whine.

The deafening noise and fierce wind made communication impossible. Terrified of being the next to soar out, Shari lunged toward her seat mate, wrapped her arms around his leg, and held on for dear life, eyes squeezed shut. After a moment, she opened them and saw the couple across the aisle were in eminent danger of tumbling from the jet. They bounced around in their broken seats, which tipped forward thirty degrees. With little flooring beneath them, their feet dangled in midair. Bloody and dazed, they gripped their armrests and stared ahead into space.

Afraid they would disappear at any moment, Shari released a hand from her seat mate’s leg and thrust it toward the man in 13G. Clutching his arm with all her might, she followed with her other hand, wondering how long she could hold on. Or if she would fly out of the plane with him, should his seat detach. Briefly, she released one hand and motioned the couple to look at her, not the sky. Then she noticed a flight attendant had been sucked under a seat behind them and lay trapped on the floor.

Erratically, the aircraft descended. Shari prayed and prayed some more. Then in her mind, she saw a giant hand reach out of the clouds and rest under the plane for support. She knew it was God’s hand, which would land the aircraft safely. Relief and awe settled over her, along with the certainty she would witness a miracle.

For the entire, mind-numbing account, find the full story and photographs in The View from 13F, by Shari Peterson, available through Amazon books at this link: Amazon Link

Seat graphic

View from inside the jet

Closeup of damage

The author and Shari with her boarding card

Cover