Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-40 incident near Detroit, Michigan, July 10, 1993
On July 10, 1993 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-40, registered N158US, was involved in an incident near Detroit, Michigan. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 103 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of a navigation system (#1 INS) for reason or reasons undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1993 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Detroit, Michigan · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 103 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-40 · all DC-10-40s on the register
- Registration
- N158US · registry record · serial 46767
- 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 CLIMBING THROUGH 20,000 FEET THE #1 INS FAILED. THE GYRO OUTPUT VARIED AS THE GYRO TUMBLED, WHICH PRODUCED A BANK ANGLE SIGNAL. THE FAILURE MODE ALLOWED THE BANK ANGLE INFORMATION TO BE TRANSMITTED TO THE YAW FLIGHT GUIDANCE COMPUTER, ALLOWING THE ATTITUDE MONITORING AND SWITCHING UNIT TO MOVE THE LOWER RUDDER HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR, CAUSING THE LOWER RUDDER TO MOVE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,901 hours in all; 1,045 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 49,826 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 4, 1992; 3,081 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 583,000 lb
- Seats: 294
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT9D-20J (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BOS Boston MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from DTW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | |||
| Passengers | 92 |
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.