Douglas DC-8-61 incident near Near Goshen, Indiana, May 27, 1982
On May 27, 1982 at about 3:27 pm local time, a Douglas DC-8-61, registered N8088U, was involved in an incident near Near Goshen, Indiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 17 people had minor injuries; 129 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1982 · about 3:27 pm local time
- Place
- Near Goshen, Indiana
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 17 people had minor injuries; 129 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-8-61 · all DC-8-61s on the register
- Registration
- N8088U · registry record · serial 45978
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST SEVERE CLEAR AIR TURBULANCE (CAT) WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT FL350 NEAR GOSHEN, IN. AS A RESULT OF THE ENCOUNTER, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT WHICH WAS ARRESTED AT 31,500 FEET. A TOTAL OF SEVENTEEN PASSENGERS AND FIVE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND AIRWORTHY. THE ONLY WARNING THAT THE CREW HAD AS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF CAT WAS A PIREP, PASSED ON BY THE CENTER CONTROLLER, THAT REPORTED MODERATE OR LESS TURBULANCE IN THE AREA. AFTER THE ENCOUNTER THE FLIGHT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO DENVER.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 350,000 lb
- Seats: 259
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JTD-3B (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: United Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: EWR Newark NJ at 7:45 am
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 35,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 5 | 4 | ||
| Passengers | 12 | 125 |
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.