Bruce Lampert, an aviation lawyer specializing in airplane crash litigation, was aboard United Airlines Flight 811 when it suffered an explosive decompression twenty minutes into the second leg from Honolulu, killing nine passengers. He survived the ordeal and went on to represent victims' families in lawsuits against United and Boeing.
A holiday turned into a nightmare
Lampert, then a father of one, had booked a three-week holiday to Australia and New Zealand to escape his work. 'I was just looking forward to getting away from law, airplane and accidents and lying on a beach,' he told Metro over Zoom from his home in Denver, Colorado. 'But I literally flew into the next accident.'
Twenty minutes into the flight, a violent bang jolted the aircraft, sending unsecured items flying. 'The roar was as if you were laying down on a railroad track, and you had a train run over the top of you. It was so loud you couldn't even hear yourself,' the 78-year-old recalled.
The explosion and its aftermath
Lampert understood there had been an explosive decompression in the Boeing 747, a rapid loss of cabin pressure. Oxygen masks fell, and a window was blown out. Below, a door had been ripped from the plane, leaving a truck-sized hole in the business-class section. The force of the decompression tore seats from the plane, carrying eight strapped-in passengers to their deaths. A ninth passenger was sucked out after unbuckling their safety belt.
Lampert ducked to protect himself from the violent airflow and debris. He saw a husband and wife clinging to each other, the man white-knuckled. A flight attendant, strapped in with an upper torso restraint, had 'eyes as big as saucers – she was obviously terrified.'
Initially, Lampert assumed a terror attack, remembering Pan Am Flight 103, which had been bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland, the previous year. 'Your brain will not let you deal with something you cannot handle, and so it denies you the fact that it is happening,' he said. But seeing two engines on fire brought reality home.
A harrowing 24-minute descent
During the 24-minute ordeal, Lampert thought of his son Seth and wished he'd hugged him one last time. He also briefly considered getting his snorkel, mask, and fins from his carry-on in case they ditched in the sea. 'It would be comical if it wasn't so serious,' he said, noting that water is 'just as hard as concrete when you hit it.'
As a pilot, Lampert knew there was nothing he could do on a commercial airliner. 'You have to sit there with your hands in your lap and trust the people up front.' He credited Captain David Cronin, who made a 180-degree turn back to Honolulu and landed the stricken plane safely. Once on land, the plane erupted in cheers, applause, and embraces.
Walking around the aircraft, Lampert saw the massive hole, 10 by 20 feet, where passengers had been blown to their deaths. 'I was in total shock. I could not believe that an airplane with a gaping black hole in the right hand side could fly. If the door had hit the tail, there would have been 250 deaths.'
Legal battles and a silver lining
After continuing to Australia, Lampert met the family of one of the deceased, turning his holiday into a 'workman's holiday.' He later represented passengers in lawsuits against United and Boeing, discovering the accident could have been prevented. 'I was angry. They were gambling with our lives, and I threw myself in the representation of my clients against the people that could have prevented this accident.'
Dozens of lawsuits were brought against United Airlines and Boeing, consolidated in a California federal court. Many claims were resolved individually, including through confidential settlements.
Lampert found a silver lining: he fell in love with the court reporter recording the case, and 35 years ago they married and had three children. 'I look at Cherilyn as being one of the good things that came out of the horrific United 11 experience,' he said.
Still practicing law as a partner at Katzman, Lampert & Stoll, Lampert flies worldwide but always books a ticket near the exits over the wings for the quickest evacuation route. 'Sometimes flying can trigger the memories of that day, such as a sudden jolt or a dip, or a climb or a descent. But I'm an aviation lawyer, I've got to fly to plane crashes all over the world. So it's something I just have to accept.'
