35th Anniversary of Flight 232

35th Anniversary of United Flight 232
Open House and Special Presentation at Air Museum
July 19, 2024
10:00 am - 3:00 pm Open House
3:45 pm  Facebook Live also available on the air museum account
4:00 Moment of Silence
5:30 Conclusion, discussion, Susan White comments, proceed to refreshed 232 Garden
 
The Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation will host an Open House and Special Presentation for the 35th anniversary of United Flight 232 crash landing at Sioux Gateway airport on Friday, July 19.  
 
The museum and the presentation will be open and free to the public.  Free will donations will be accepted.  The presentation will begin at 3:45 pm with introductions, a moment of silence at 4:00:16 in recognition of the 112 victims, the survivors, and community heroes.  The presentation will conclude around 5:30. Dr. Mitchell Simmons is presenting his research, Flight Crew Communications Through the Eyes of United Flight 232 Flight Attendant Susan White.  Susan White’s appearance details are still being worked out. 

Dr. Simmons is a full professor and an Associate Dean at the National Intelligence University in Bethesda, Maryland where he teaches a graduate course Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment. He has used Flight 232 as a case study on vulnerability and the human element of infrastructure disasters. He says, “I stumbled upon a Flight 232 group on Facebook that Susan White runs and she agreed to my writing an article mainly through her eyes and during the almost year of research we identified new information on how communication in the aircraft undoubtedly saved lives.”  Simmons’ intention is not to amplify Susan White’s role or diminish the role of others of the flight crew so critical on that fateful day, but uses his eight step “Survival Bridge” to illustrate the challenges of surviving an infrastructure disaster so someone can get from the side of danger and death to the side of safety and life. Simmons developed his “Survival Bridge” framework while documenting the stories of three Sept 11th survivors who escaped the World Trade Center South Tower.
 
Pam Mickelson, Air Museum board member and past president, adds, “We look forward to hosting Dr. Simmons discussion and having Susan White available during his talk for comments or assist in answering questions. Even 35 years later, the museum gets visitors weekly to see the exhibit created during the 25th anniversary and see the runway area.  This community event is an opportunity for a new generation of Siouxlanders to hear the details about that July 19, 1989 day where our local heroes were called to help.”