Boeing 767-200 incident near Cimarron, New Mexico, March 24, 1988
On March 24, 1988 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Boeing 767-200, registered N308AA, was involved in an incident near Cimarron, New Mexico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 3 people had minor injuries; 208 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1988 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cimarron, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 208 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 767-200 · all 767-200s on the register
- Registration
- N308AA · registry record · serial 22314
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN NORMAL CRUISE FLIGHT AT FL 370, THE FLT CREW WAS ADVISED BY ARTCC PERSONNEL THAT OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE EXPERIENCING OCCASIONAL SEVERE TURBULENCE AT FL 370 ALONG THEIR ROUTE OF FLIGHT. A DESCENT WAS MADE TO FL 330 TO AVOID TURBULENCE. LATER, AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT FL 330 WITH THE SEAT BELT SIGN OFF, IT ENCOUNTERED 'SEVERE CHOP WITH SEVERE TURBULENCE, IN CLEAR AIR.' ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED DURING THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ITS DESTINATION WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 1,331 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 300,000 lb
- Seats: 225
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-7 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 3:15 pm
- Destination: ORD Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 95 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 9 | ||
| Passengers | 2 | 199 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N308AA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.