Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 incident near Garden City, Kansas, June 6, 1989
On June 6, 1989 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10, registered N1848U, was involved in an incident near Garden City, Kansas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 24 people had minor injuries; 221 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF SOME OF THE PASSENGERS TO FOLLOW THE CAPTAIN'S INSTRUCTIONS TO FASTEN THEIR LAP BELTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 1989 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Garden City, Kansas · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 24 people had minor injuries; 221 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10 · all DC-10s on the register
- Registration
- N1848U · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A DC-10, A SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE AT FL370 WHILE TRANSITIONING A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. WHEN THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE, SEVERAL PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. SOME PASSENGERS HAD NOT HEEDED THE CAPTAIN'S INSTRUCTION TO BUCKLE UP.
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: instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 444,000 lb
- Seats: 345
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF-6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: LAX Los Angeles CA at 8:00 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 33 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | |||
| Passengers | 24 | 210 |
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.