S11E13 | Impossible Landing | United Airlines Flight 232 | air crash Aircrash Investigation - Mayday United Airlines Flight 232 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Denver to Chicago on July 19, 1989. The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 with 296 people on board, including crew and passengers. About an hour into the flight, the rear engine of the DC-10 failed catastrophically, causing shrapnel to puncture all three hydraulic systems and rendering the aircraft almost completely