Investigation brief · generated 2026-10-09 · source: NTSB public docket and accident database
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC10 — Pacific Ocean, USA, 2008-05-19
NTSB number
DCA08FA062
Operator
Omni Air International
Registration
N720AX
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 captain stated that the ride had been smooth at their cruise altitude of 36,000 feet, and the seatbelt sign was off. He further stated that there was some thunderstorm activity, and some towering cumulus in the area, and that the airplane’s radar indicated the presence of a cell about 30 miles south of the airplane’s position, with tops that reached about 28,000 to 30,000 feet. He said they encountered an area of higher clouds, but the radar still did not indicate any activity, and within a few seconds they felt an initial bump, followed by "moderate" turbulence. He said he then turned the seatbelt sign on, and a short while later he was notified that there were some injured passengers and flight attendants. The NTSB’s Recorder Laboratory, Washington DC, read out the DFDR, and the data indicated that at 13:27:22 FDR Recorded GMT, at a pressure altitude of 36,000 feet, the vertical acceleration changed from 0.9 g’s to 1.8 g’s to -0.5 g’s to 1.7 g’s and then back to 0.9 g’s all within 3 seconds, consistent with clear air turbulence. See the NTSB DFDR Factual Report. In addition the NTSB conducted a meteorological study, using data to include synoptic, upper air, and satellite data. See the NTSB Meteorological Factual Report.
An inadvertent in-flight encounter with unforecasted clear air turbulence
Verbatim, NTSB determination.
Flight data recorder
— 30,241 samples, 25 parameters, 13:20:19.0 to 13:34:19.0.
Parameter
Max
at
Min
at
Final
at
Pressure altitude ft
36,329.0
13:27:43.1
3,243.0
13:20:19.1
35,983.0
13:34:18.1
Computed airspeed kts
293.8
13:27:26.3
267.2
13:27:39.3
282.0
13:34:18.3
Roll attitude deg
6.7
13:27:23.2
-3.5
13:27:27.2
-0.7
13:34:18.2
Vertical acceleration g
1.8
13:27:22.4
-0.5
13:27:23.4
1.0
13:34:19.0
Engine 1 N1 %RPM
108.3
13:29:01.9
83.5
13:27:20.9
99.0
13:34:18.9
Engine 2 N1 %RPM
108.5
13:29:00.4
79.5
13:27:20.4
97.5
13:34:18.4
Computed from the docket's tabular attachment; times as recorded (local or SRN as published).
Sequence of events (FDR factual report)
Time
Event
Page
13:20:20-13:34:20 GMT
14-minute window plotted around the encounter
3
13:27:22 GMT
About 5 hours 21 minutes after takeoff at 36,000 ft pressure altitude, vertical acceleration changed from 0.9 g to 1.8 g to -0.5 g to 1.7 g and back to 0.9 g within 3 seconds
3
about 14:53 GMT
Aircraft landed at Guam approximately 1 hour 26 minutes after the encounter
3
Extracted by claude-fable-5-1 (in-session); 2 of 3 stated events verified against the raw recorder data.