Boeing 767 accident near Fort Dodge, Iowa, April 30, 2010
On April 30, 2010 at about 2:40 am local time, a Boeing 767, registered N320AA, was involved in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fort Dodge, Iowa. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries; 172 others were unhurt.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's inadequate separation from convective activity that resulted in serious injury to an unrestrained flight attendant.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2010 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Fort Dodge, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries; 172 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767 223 · all 767s on the register
- Registration
- N320AA · no longer on the register · serial 22321
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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 complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Windshear or thunderstorm during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › Thunderstorm › Effect on personnel
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Heading/course › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Passenger compartment equip › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,501 in this make and model; 148 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 16, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,502 in this make and model; 111 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 11, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 94,084 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 313,000 lb
- Seats: 167
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: General Electric CF6/80A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SFO San Francisco CA at 6:00 am
- Destination: JFK New York City NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from FOD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 164 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.