Flight 232 Crash to be Detailed During Feb. 27 Program At Evergreen Aviation Museum

McMINNVILLE, Ore.—On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 departed Denver at 2:09 p.m. and climbed to 37,000 feet. At 3:16 p.m., the flight crew notified Minneapolis Air Traffic Control that the No. 2 engine had failed and the aircraft was marginally controllable.

At the controls was Capt. Al Haynes, a 33-year aviation veteran, who directed the crippled aircraft's spectacular, but lifesaving, crash landing at the Sioux City, S.D. airport. The plane, which had suffered hydraulic failure along with loss of the engine, catapulted upon landing, split in two and erupted in a fireball. Of the 293 on board, 184 survived, due to the determination and skills of the pilots, flight crew, attendants and those on ground at the airport.

The public is invited to hear Capt. Haynes speak about his experience at 10 a.m., Wed., Feb. 27 at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. The program is free with museum admission, and precedes a dedication ceremony at 1:30 p.m. that will honor the late Capt. Michael King Smith, founder of the Museum. The Museum is located at 3685 N.E. Three Mile Lane, on Highway 18, southeast of McMinnville.

Capt. Haynes, whose presentation has been booked by organizations for the entire upcoming 12 months, is a guest of the Museum and Evergreen International Airlines. He has appeared recently on a number of national television programs, recounting the incident that occurred nearly 13 years ago.

He says the survival of so many after such a catastrophic incident, can be credited to "luck, communications, preparation, execution and cooperation."

These factors allowed what appeared to be a non-survivable accident to be one in which a large percentage of those aboard lived, he stated.

Following Capt. Haynes' slide and video presentation, the Museum will honor Capt. Michael King Smith by dedicating a memorial exhibit in his honor.

A Dream to Preserve Aviation History

Capt. Michael King Smith, the son of Evergreen International Aviation founder Delford M. Smith, was only in his mid-20s when he began to dream about an aviation museum and institute where the public could view historic flying machines and learn about famous fliers and aviation.

An F-15 Eagle pilot for the United States Air Force and the Oregon Air National Guard, his life was filled with aviation-related pursuits and adventures. He began flying at the age of 16. Instructed by aviation greats like Reno air racer Bob Hoover and daredevil pilot Swede Ralston, he quickly became proficient at flying aerobatics in aircraft such as the Pitts Special and World War II aircraft like the Mustang, Corsair and Spitfire.

Under Capt. Smith's leadership, the Evergreen Aviation Museum was founded in 1991 and incorporated as a non-profit entity, starting the process of what would become today's widely heralded 121,000-square-foot building that houses a collection of rare aircraft, aviation displays, a Museum Store and the Spruce Goose Cafe'.

Tragically, Capt. Smith never lived to see the construction of the Museum. At age 29, he and another F-15 Pilot, Major Rhory Roger Draeger, were killed as a result of an automobile accident in March of 1995.

The biggest draw to the Museum is the world's largest wood airplane, the "Spruce Goose," which Capt. Smith won in a bid submitted to the Aero Club of Southern California. He was determined to save this aviation marvel and as the new custodian of the Spruce Goose, he directed its immediate disassembly and transportation to Evergreen International Aviation's campus near McMinnville.

The Spruce Goose arrived in McMinnville in early 1993 and was completely reassembled by late 2001. It has helped to generate 175,000 visitors throughout the first nine months since the Museum opened on June 6, 2001.

The public is cordially invited to attend both the Capt. Al Haynes presentation and the memorial exhibit dedication honoring Capt. Smith. Seating is limited so please call (503) 434-4180 for reservations.

The Evergreen Aviation Museum's hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas day and New Year's Day. An extensive Museum store and friendly cafe' add to the Museum experience. The Museum is located at 3685 N.E. Three Mile Lane, across the road from Evergreen International Aviation and about five miles southeast of McMinnville, OR., on Highway 18. Regular visitor admission is required. Members are always free. Call (503) 434-4180 for more information and visit www.sprucegoose.org.