The Hyatt Regency Skywalk Disaster

# Summary

This Stuff You Should Know episode recounts the catastrophic 1981 collapse of the skywalks at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, which killed 114 people and injured over 200 more. Josh and Chuck dive deep into what happened during a crowded tea dance when three suspended walkways gave way without warning, then investigate the engineering failures and design changes that led to the disaster. They explore how a seemingly minor modification to the support rods—approved via a casual phone call—created a structural failure waiting to happen, and examine the legal and professional fallout that followed, including settlements reaching $140 million and major changes to building code oversight and emergency responder mental health protocols.