# Accident 20030807019999A: Doug DC981, Cheyenne, WY, August 7, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 7, 2003, 15:04 local time
- Place: Cheyenne, WY
- Airport: Cheyenne Airport
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: MWEA
- Location: 40.4408° N, 104.6702° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4408&lon=-104.6702&mi=10
- Aircraft: N814ME, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N814ME-2013-08-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-81(MD-81) (registry code 3022081, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-dc-9-81-md-81) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-1 (registry code 52044, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DOUG DC981
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 17,400 total, 11,900 in this make and model, 70 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN03LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA142) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030807019999A

## Narrative

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

(-23) CAPTAIN IS A CHECK AIRMAN AND WAS CONDUCTING INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE WITH CAPTAIN WULFF (WHO IS TRANSITIONING FROM THE DC-9 TO MD-80). AS THE FLIGHT WAS CROSSING THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT RANGE, THE CREW NOTED AND WAS DEVIATING AROUND CUMULUS WEATHER. THE CREW STATED THEY WERE DEVIATING APPROXIMATELY 20 NM SOUTH OF A CELL LOCATED JUST EAST OF CYS AND FLYING IN "AN OBSCURATION". THEY HAD ILLUMINATED THE SEATBELT SIGN 20 MINUTES PRIOR. AS THEY BROKE OUT OF THE OBSCURATION, THEY NOTED A BUILD-UP IN THEIR IMMEDIATE FLIGHT PATH THAT HAD NOT PAINTED ON THEIR RADAR. THEY TURNED TO AVOID THE BUILD-UP BUT WERE UNABLE. THEY ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE UPON ENTERING THE CLOUD. AFTER THE ENCOUNTER, THE CAPTAIN CALLED THE LEAD FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO ASSESS INJURIES. SHE STATED THE 2 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE CAPTAIN THEN IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, DIVERTED TO DENVER AND ASKED FOR PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE AIRCRAFT. THE 2 AFT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SUFFERED A BROKEN LEG AND BROKEN PELVIS RESPECTIVELY.

## 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 DEN03LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA142), Aug 7, 2003: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 (N814ME), Greeley, CO, no damage. Probable cause: the inflight encounter with severe turbulence.

## Other reports on N814ME (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20020226009049I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020226009049I), Feb 26, 2002: Doug DC981 (N814ME), Kansas City, MO, No damage. (-23) On February 26, 2002, midwest express airlines, N814ME, flt 50 reported to ATC it had a gear problem on takeoff from mci. A/c did not declare an…

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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