United 173: “Miracle in the Midst of a Tragedy”
COURTESY: KOIN-TV
I’m sharing a story with you that I wrote for KOIN 6 — it’s about a United Airlines flight that crashed 40 years ago in the middle of a Portland neighborhood. While there aren’t any memorials or landmarks as a reminder of what happened there, it’s considered to be a watershed moment for safety in the airline industry.
I don’t do much writing these days in my current role, but I felt that it was an important story to tell because of all the lessons learned, including teamwork, leadership, and meaningful change — not just in the airline industry, but in companies around the world. As one author put it, while 10 people died in the tragedy, “the learning opportunity saved many thousands more.”
A special thanks to all the talented KOIN staffers who helped put this story together — further proof of the critical importance of teamwork.
JUSTIN BURTON, MBA 