Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10 accident near Jamaica, New York, May 28, 1985
On May 28, 1985 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10, registered N108AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jamaica, New York. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 212 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. 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 28, 1985 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jamaica, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 212 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-10-10 · all DC-10-10s on the register
- Registration
- N108AA · no longer on the register · serial 46508
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FORWARD ONE-THIRD PORTION OF THE CORE COWL DOOR ON NO. 3 ENGINE SEPARATED IN FLIGHT FIRST STRIKING THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING, THEN PUNCTURING THE FUSELAGE. CAUSING RAPID DECOMPRESSION AT FL 170. THE CORE COWL DOOR LATCHES WERE NOT ADJUSTED & CORE COWL DOOR SHEAR PINS WERE NOT INSTALLED PER MCDONNELL DOUGLAS SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 71-86. DATED MAY 12, 1985.
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: 12,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 430,000 lb
- Seats: 268
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-6 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York NY
- Destination: Dallas-Ft Worth TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 040° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 14 | |||
| Passengers | 198 |
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.