Dennis E. Fitch

Denny Fitch (1942 – 2012) was an American commercial airline pilot. He was a pilot for United Airlines for 34 years.

On July 19, 1989, he was an off-duty pilot on a United Airlines flight 232 from Denver to Chicago, continuing to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the flight –– a three-engine wide-body jet airliner DC-10 –– crash-landed at Sioux City, Iowa, after suffering a catastrophic failure of its tail-mounted engine, which led to the loss of many flight controls. Of the 296 passengers and crew on board, 111 died during the accident, while 185 people survived. Despite the deaths, the accident is considered a prime example of successful crew resource management because of the large number of survivors and the manner in which the flight crew handled the emergency and landed the airplane without conventional control. 

Fitch played a key role in the event and became known for his critical actions at the time of emergency. 

Fitch was born on December 19, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as Dennis Edward Fitch. He attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Fitch had been working as a Training Check Airman Captain for United Airlines, since 1968. Prior to working for United Airlines, he had accrued at least 23,000 hours of flight time, including 1,400 hours working as a pilot for the Air National Guard.

On July 19, 1989, aboard the United Airlines Flight 232, Fitch heard an explosion somewhere in the back of the jet. He rushed to the cockpit to see if the crew, (Captain Alfred C. Haynes, First Officer William Roy Records, and Second Officer Dudley Joseph Dvorak) needed help. Inside, he found that the plane had lost all hydraulic power needed to control direction and altitude, and the three pilots were trying to manage the situation. Fitch then helped operate some of the only equipment still working — the wing engines — to try to land the aircraft. He used differential throttle adjustment to steer the airliner to an oblique crash-landing at Sioux Gateway Airport, in Sioux City, Iowa, resulting in the survival of 185 out of 296 on board. Fitch was injured in the accident and returned to flying duties with United Airlines after 18 months.

Fitch had learned of the 1985 crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123, caused by a loss of hydraulic control, and had wondered if it was possible to control an aircraft using throttles only. He had practiced under similar conditions on a simulator.

Fitch was commended by then-President George H. W. Bush and in Senate Resolution 174 of the 101st United States Congress. He was interviewed by Errol Morris about United Airlines Flight 232 for the documentary series First Person. He also appeared on episodes of Mayday, Seconds from Disaster and Survival in the Sky in which the United Airlines Flight 232 was featured.

Fitch later formed his own aviation consulting firm, specializing in Cockpit Resource Management and human factors. Drawing on his experience with the accident on Flight 232, he gave numerous motivational presentations to corporate groups and associations on teamwork. He also worked as safety adviser and consultant to Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel at NASA .

Fitch was married to Rosa Rannels and later, to GeneAnn. He had three children with his first wife: daughter, Amy; son, Brian M.; and son, Dennis. He also had two step-daughters, Angelique Cullen and Bre Cullen.

Fitch was diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2010, and died on May 7, 2012, at his home in St. Charles, Illinois. He was survived by his wife, three children, two stepchildren and 10 grandchildren.