A problem with the outward-opening cargo door first became publicly known on June 12 , 1972 , when American Airlines Flight 96 lost its aft cargo door shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metro Airport , in flight above Windsor , Ontario . Before Flight 96 took off , an airport employee had forced the door shut . Due to the cargo door 's design , the door appeared to be securely locked despite the internal locking mechanism not being fully engaged . Subsequently , when the aircraft reached approximately in altitude , the rear cargo door blew out , causing an explosive decompression that created a large pressure differential between the cabin above and the cargo bay below , causing the cabin floor to collapse . This collapsed section of the floor cut or impeded many of the control cables to the empennage control systems necessary to fly the aircraft , which were routed through the floor beams , leaving the pilots with very limited control of the aircraft . The crew performed an emergency landing by using the ailerons , right elevator , some limited rudder trim , and asymmetrical thrust of the wing engines . All 67 passengers evacuated safely
American Airlines Flight 96
American Airlines Flight 96
McDonnell Douglas DC-10