EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION • TEARDOWN

On March 3, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 departed Orly Airport in Paris bound for London. Just nine minutes into the flight, as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 reached 12,000 feet, the rear left cargo door catastrophically failed. The resulting explosive decompression caused the cabin floor to collapse, instantly severing the hydraulic lines and control cables located beneath it. The pilots were left helpless as the aircraft pitched downward at a 20 degree angle. Investigation teams later found