Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-30 accident near Int'L Waters, March 22, 2002
On March 22, 2002 at about 6:00 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-30, registered N234NW, suffered minor damage in an accident near Int'L Waters. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries; 257 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight attendant's injuries were a result of her unsecured lap belt and shoulder harness for undetermined reasons, and the oscillations of the airplane, which were caused by turbulence and large control column inputs by the first officer. Contributing to the flight attendant's injuries was the failure of the flight crew and the lead flight attendant to follow company procedures regarding dissemination of turbulence information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2002 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Int'L Waters
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries; 257 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-30 · all DC-10-30s on the register
- Registration
- N234NW · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A flight attendant was seriously injured when the airplane encountered turbulence while descending from flight level (FL) 350 to FL 340. Flight crew interview statements indicated that they were preparing for turbulence and that they wanted the passengers and flight attendants seated with their seatbelts fastened. However, the flight crew did not advise the lead flight attendant (LFA) of the turbulence level and its anticipated duration nor did they use turbulence codes, as stipulated in Northwest Airlines' Flight Operations Manual. The investigation also revealed that the LFA did not relay the turbulence information to all of the flight attendants, as stipulated in the company's Flight Attendant Manual. Examination of the restraint system from the injured flight attendant's jump seat indicated that the restraint system did not fail during the turbulence upset. The Safety Board was unable to determine whether the lapbelt was improperly secured by the flight attendant or whether it was inadvertently disengaged during the turbulence upset. The Safety Board's investigation examined the turbulence and the flight crew's operation of the airplane during the turbulence encounter to evaluate the effects on the airplane occupants. Analysis of the flight data recorder (FDR) data indicates that the turbulence caused substantial vertical and lateral oscillations, which may have made it difficult for the first officer (as the flying pilot) to maintain a constant pitch attitude. The FDR data showed variations in the airplane's pitch attitude during the turbulence encounter. Despite the airplane's pitch excursions, statements from the flight crew indicate that they were attempting to maintain constant pitch attitudes during the turbulence upset. Nevertheless, FDR data indicate that the large and rapid pitch excursions were primarily a result of control column inputs made by the first officer. The Safety Board's investigation determined that the main pitchover (which likely caused the flight attendant's injuries) occurred as a result of the first officer's control inputs.
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
- Seat: left
Co-pilot
- Seat: rgt
Flight Engineer
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: General Electric CF6-50C (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: MIA Miami FL
- Destination: AMS Amsterdam
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 55 knots
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 10 | ||
| Passengers | 4 | 247 |
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 N234NW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DCA02MA029.