Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10F accident near Los Angeles, California, April 18, 1990
On April 18, 1990 at about 11:33 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10F, registered N68056, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Intl airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT FAILED TO ADHERE TO ESTABLISHED LANDING PROCEDURES, MAINTAIN A STABILIZED APPROACH, AND ALLOWED THE AIRSPEED TO GO BELOW THE PREDICTED V.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1990 · about 11:33 am local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10F · all DC-10-10Fs on the register
- Registration
- N68056 · no longer on the register · serial 47810
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED FEDERAL EXPRESS (FEDEX) DOMESTIC CARGO FLIGHT WAS ROUTINE WHEN IT ARRIVED OVER LOS ANGELES FROM MEMPHIS. THE CAPT CONDUCTED A PRELANDING BRIEFING FOR THE IMPENDING VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 07L AT LAX. THE BRIEFING INCLUDED SETTING THE VREF SPEEDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPANY FLIGHT OPERATIONS POLICY. THE COMPUTED VREF SPEED FOR LANDING AS 143 KNOTS; THE TOUCHDOWN SPEED WAS 138 KNOTS. THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN A STABILIZED APPROACH AND THE AIRSPEED DECREASED TO 138 KIAS WHEN CROSSING OVER THE THRESHOLD. FROM THAT POINT THE AIRSPEED BEGAN TO DECELERATE TO 122.3 KNOTS AT TOUCH DOWN WITH A PITCH ATTITUDE OF 11.1 DEG. AT TOUCHDOWN THE PITCH ATTITUDE CONTINUED TO INCREASE UNTIL THE TAILSTRICK OCCURRED AT A PITCH ATTITUDE OF 13.2 DEG. DFDR RECORDED DATA DISCLOSED THE CAPT RELAXED THE ELEVATOR CONTROL BACK PRESSURE BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE TAIL STRIKE. THE FLT MANUAL RECOMMENDS THE PILOT TO LOWER THE NOSE UPON TOUCHDOWN TO COUNTERACT THE INCREASE IN PITCH ATTITUDE DUE TO GROUND SPOILER ACTIVATION.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,187 hours in all; 3,690 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 3,506 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35,301 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 26, 1989; 705 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 449,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-6D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 8:04 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0, 12,091 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 6 |
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 N68056 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.