Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83) accident near Dallas-Fort Worth (Dfw), Texas, March 10, 2017
On March 10, 2017 at about 1:15 am local time, a 1997 Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83), registered N9615W, suffered minor damage in an accident during enroute near Dallas-Fort Worth (Dfw), Texas. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 106 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent encounter with convective turbulence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2017 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Dallas-Fort Worth (Dfw), Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 106 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83) 83, built 1997 · all DC 9 83(MD-83)s on the register
- Registration
- N9615W · registry record · serial 53562
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 9, 2017 at 1915 central standard time, American Airlines flight 2588, a Boeing MD-83, N9615W, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), encountered turbulence at flight level 280 (FL280) during cruise flight from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas, Texas, resulting in a serious injury to one of the flight attendants (FA). None of the other passengers and crew members were injured and the airplane received minor damage. According to the operator, while enroute to DFW at FL 280, in intermittent IMC conditions at 0.74 Mach, the flight crew was deviating left of assigned course to avoid weather and was northeast of Memphis . The seat belt sign was on and the on-board radar was not depicting any precipitation. The aircraft experienced unexpected turbulence. The #2 and the #4 FAs were seated in their jumpseats in the rear of the aircraft, however, their seatbelts were not fastened. Both the #2 and the #4 FAs struck the overhead ceiling panel and fell to the floor. No passengers reported injuries and the FAs were able to complete their duties. Emergency Medical Service personnel met the FAs at the gate and transported to the hospital. Both FAs were treated and released from the hospital that evening, however, the #2 FA was later diagnosed with fractures to her vertebrae.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,147 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 12, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Flight time: 756 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 8, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 56,242 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 160,000 lb
- Seats: 146
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: YYZ Toronto at 6:20 pm
- Destination: DFW Dallas-Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Sky: ovct
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 4 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 100 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on April 13, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.