Investigation brief · generated 2026-10-09 · source: NTSB public docket and accident database
BOEING 767 — Fort Dodge, IA, USA, 2010-04-30
NTSB number
CEN10LA240
Operator
American Airlines
Registration
N320AA
Highest injury
Serious injury
Regulation
Part 121
Damage
—
Cohort
Part 121 airline
Recorder data
Tier 1 — decoded recorder tables
Every sentence below is taken directly from NTSB records — the accident database, the docket's recorder reports and the Board's findings — with its source noted. Nothing is paraphrased or inferred.
NTSB summary
The scheduled domestic passenger flight encountered turbulence while diverting around an area of convective activity. A flight attendant who was not seated sustained serious injuries and five others on board sustained minor injuries as a result of the turbulence encounter. Flight data recorder information showed that the airplane experienced a vertical acceleration from 0.5 and 2 g’s and an altitude change of 100 feet in each direction.
The flight crew's inadequate separation from convective activity that resulted in serious injury to an unrestrained flight attendant.
Verbatim, NTSB determination.
Sequence of events (FDR factual report)
Time
Event
Page
about 2 h 0 min 41 s into the flight
Cruising at about 41,000 ft and 232 kts with autopilot engaged when the turbulence event began: vertical acceleration fluctuated between -0.5 and 2.0 g, longitudinal between -0.1 and 0.1 g, lateral spiked to 0.2 g and -0.1 g; altitude rose and fell about 100 ft each way; roll as far as 20 deg right; heading changed 20 deg right
4
about 15 s after onset
Captain disengaged the autopilot for about 15 seconds to correct course and regain control
4
during the event
Total pressure spiked from 270 mb to 300 mb; wind direction shifted about 20 deg left, accounted for by the 20 deg right heading change; no sudden changes in wind or pressure before the event
4
Extracted by claude-fable-5-1 (in-session); 0 of 1 stated events verified against the raw recorder data.