Kaua’i-bound UAL passenger describes cargo explosion

While settling into her seat for the five-hour plane ride from San Francisco to Lihu’e, Margy Parker first thought some ramp equipment had run into the United Airlines’ jet when she heard and felt an explosion Sunday morning.

“It was very loud,” said Parker, who was seated nearly directly above the cargo hold when what is believed to have been a computer battery exploded.

She looked out her window, and saw the United baggage handlers looking into the cargo hold with horror in their eyes. Then the handler closest to the explosion limped away from the jet, holding his side, she recalled.

“So then I realized that something probably went off in the baggage section.” When the plane was ordered evacuated, she knew something was “pretty wrong,” said Parker, who is the executive director of the Poipu Beach Resort Association.

It was later determined that a battery pack in a container of electronic gear was probably the cause of the explosion, said Mike McCarron, a spokesman for San Francisco International Airport, in an Associated Press report.

“I really thought that some ramp equipment had run into the plane, (it was) such a loud, ‘bang’ noise. You could feel the plane slightly rise up a little bit,” not off the ground, but some, she said.

“And then, when we saw the fire engines and the bomb-squad car, it wasn’t hard to guess that something blew up,” she added.

“I think the overall emotion on most of the passengers was relief that it happened on the ground and not in the air, and respect for all the tight security measures they were taking to ensure a safe flight,” said Parker.

The airport and airline response to the situation was exemplary, she said.

“It was quite remarkable to see the forces that were rounded up within 15 to 30 minutes to deal with the issue,” including 10 screeners from the Transportation Security Administration to the boarding gate to assist with the passenger screening, she said.

“The airport and United responded really well and quickly, and did the best they could under the circumstances,” she offered.

“They did decide to re-screen every since piece of luggage, and then personally screen every single passenger at the gate before they let us back on, so that was time-consuming,” she said.

“They found another plane for us,” a 767, which holds nearly twice the number of passengers as the 757 does. When the 767 touched down at Lihu’e Airport late Sunday afternoon, it may have marked the first time such a large plane has landed there, she said.

FBI personnel and others checked the replacement plane top to bottom before baggage or passengers were loaded, “making sure nothing was on board or was going to get on board.”

The airport and carrier response to the situation was textbook excellent customer service, said Parker.

“They were very forthright,” she said of United personnel, from the time they announced there was an explosion and everyone had to evacuate the plane.

“We will update you with information as soon as we have it,” they said, according to Parker.

“All along the way, the whole gate crew, the gate agents, the counter crew, everybody stayed with us all day long, and dealt with us. They kept the same crew on who were there at the beginning all the way through until we were boarded and taking off six hours later,” said Parker.

“All the time, they would tell us what’s going on, when they’re going to let us know something, where to remain, how to get a free meal. They would give us all the information that they could give us,” she said.

“United was exceptionally forthright and very professional. They did a great job,” she continued.

“I was very happy to land in Lihu’e, finally,” said Parker, who returned to work yesterday morning.

A United spokesman said passengers delayed out of Lihu’e were all accommodated on later flights.

Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).