# Accident 19960713025819A: Doug MD11, Westerly, RI, July 13, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 13, 1996, 20:40 local time
- Place: Westerly, RI
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: AALA
- Location: 41.3733° N, 71.8068° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Westerly, RI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3733&lon=-71.8068&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1768D (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUG MD11
- Reported engine: GE CF680C2D1F
- People aboard: 176
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 19,980 total, 1,818 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC96LA148](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC96LA148) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960713025819A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)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 INTERRUPTED THE AUTOMATIC LEVEL OFF SEQUENCE AGAIN. CONTINUED USE OF 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 WHELL OR COLUMN WHILE THE A/P IS ENGAGED AND ADJUSTING THE PITCH THUMBWHEEL DURING A LEVEL OFF.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC96LA148](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC96LA148), Jul 14, 1996: McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (N1768D), Westerly, RI, no damage. Probable cause: 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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