Boeing 757-200 incident near Dodge City, Kansas, June 10, 2003
On June 10, 2003 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Boeing 757-200, registered N704X, was involved in an incident near Dodge City, Kansas. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person had minor injuries; 173 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inadvertent activation of the flight deck door's upper pressure relief latch during closure of the door, resulting in the deployment of the upper decompression panel which subsequently struck the captain. Contributing factors included the operator's improper compliance with the door manufacturer's service bulletin, the operator's inadequate service and maintenance of the flight deck door, and the door manufacturer's inadequate service bulletin compliance determination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2003 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dodge City, Kansas · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 173 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 757-200 · all 757-200s on the register
- Registration
- N704X · no longer on the register · serial 28163
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The lead flight attendant had given the captain a tray of refreshments and was attempting to secure the flight deck door. When the flight attendant slammed the door closed, the upper pressure relief latch activated, causing the upper decompression panel to open. The panel fell forward and down, striking the captain on the head. The captain received a 1-inch cut on his head. The first officer requested and received clearance for an immediate descent and landing at Denver, Colorado. An examination of the flight deck door showed the correct placard in place; however, the door was not in compliance with the manufacturer's issued Service Bulletin (SB), B231001-52-02 for the Boeing model 757-200 flight deck door. On further examination, the doorstop mechanism, mounted on the bottom of the flight deck door, was found to be loose and missing one attachment screw. According to an FAA inspector, this misalignment would cause the door to "hang and catch" the floor, requiring added force to close the door. The SB instructed that modified pressure relief latches and latch spacers be installed on the upper and lower decompression panels on flight deck doors, and latch straps be installed on upper panels. The airline company and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were aware of previous problems with the flight deck door latches. The NTSB issued an urgent safety recommendation letter requesting the FAA issue an Airworthiness Directive that required compliance with the SB within 90 days. The FAA subsequently issued the appropriate AD.
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: 18,464 hours in all; 3,969 in this make and model; 213 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 3,524 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Crew member
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22,891 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 6, 2003; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 255,000 lb
- Seats: 174
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PW-2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PW-2037 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Twa Airlines LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: STL St Louis MO at 2:55 pm
- Destination: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DDC, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 5 | ||
| Passengers | 168 |
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 N704X 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.