Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 accident near Westerly, Rhode Island, July 14, 1996
On July 14, 1996, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11, registered N1768D, was involved in an accident near Westerly, Rhode Island. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries; 176 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
insufficient information from the manufacturer in the airplane flight manual and flightcrew operating manual regarding the hazards of applying force to the control wheel or column while the autopilot is engaged and adjusting the pitch thumbwheel during a level off. Also causal was the flightcrew's lack of understanding of these items and the captain's improper decisions to overpower the engaged autopilot and then to disconnect the autopilot while holding back-pressure on the control yoke.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1996
- Place
- Westerly, Rhode Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries; 176 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 · all MD-11s on the register
- Registration
- N1768D · no longer on the register · serial 48436
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The first officer (F/O) was making a descent from FL350 to FL240 in smooth air in VMC conditions with the autopilot (A/P) engaged. As the flight (flt) neared FL250, the captain became concerned that the airplane would not level off at FL240. He instructed the F/O to slow the rate of descent. The F/O attempted this by using the pitch thumbwheel on the A/P control panel. The captain then took control, attempted to overpower the A/P, and pulled back on the control yoke. With back pressure on the control yoke, he disengaged the A/P. With the reduced control column resistance after the A/P was disengaged, there was further excursion of the elevators to the up position. According to the flt data recorder, the airplane was subjected to a +2.28 G-load. A passenger in the aft lavatory suffered a fractured ankle. A 2nd passenger and 2 flt attendants received minor injuries. The MD-11 Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM) advised against attempting to overpower the A/P; however, this was contained under the title, 'SEVERE TURBULENCE AND/OR HEAVY RAIN INGESTION.' Each use of pitch thumbwheel interrupted the automatic level off, and the system would wait for 2 seconds after release of the thumbwheel before initiating a level off sequence again. Continued use of the thumbwheel precluded the A/P from performing the level off at FL240. The manufacturer has issued FCOM changes to warn pilots about the hazards of applying force to the control wheel or column while the A/P is engaged and adjusting the pitch thumbwheel during a level off.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,980 hours in all; 1,818 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 618,000 lb
- Seats: 283
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF6-80C2D1F (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: EGLL London, Uk OF at 5:33 pm
- Destination: KJFK Jamaica NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from JFK, 100 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 11 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 | 165 |
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 N1768D 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.