Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during a non-scheduled positioning flight bound for Jeddah via Frankfurt. During the takeoff roll on Runway 13R, the aircraft encountered a flock of gulls that rose from the runway surface. The ingestion of birds into the right-wing General Electric CF6 engine triggered a catastrophic uncontained failure. High-energy fragments from the engine's compressor and turbine sections were ejected, puncturing the fuselage, severing hydraulic lines for the number 2 system, and shredding several tires on the main landing gear. The loss of hydraulic pressure rendered the number 3 engine's thrust reverser and the number 2 brake system inoperative, while also preventing the deployment of several spoiler panels. The combination of a wet runway, reduced braking torque, and the inability to use full reverse thrust made stopping the aircraft within the remaining runway distance impossible. The captain intentionally steered the aircraft toward a taxiway to avoid a blast fence, but the landing gear collapsed as the aircraft left the paved surface. The fire was exacerbated by the aircraft coming to rest near an underground storm drain, which trapped burning fuel and made firefighting efforts exceptionally difficult.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB concluded that the probable cause was the ingestion of birds into the number 3 engine, which resulted in an uncontained failure and the subsequent loss of critical braking and hydraulic systems. The board noted that the bird-control program at JFK was ineffective at the time. A partial dissent was filed by General Electric, which argued that the engine failure was a secondary event caused by the ingestion of tire and wheel debris rather than the birds themselves. The NTSB also highlighted that the flight crew performed exceptionally well under the circumstances, ensuring a total evacuation before the fire consumed the cabin.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
DC-10 Collapses During Takeoff at JFK Airport - ONA Flight 032 — Reconstruction and analysis of the 1975 bird strike and uncontained engine failure of Overseas National Airways Flight 032 at JFK Airport.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Harry R. 'Stinky' Davis, aged 55
First Officer
Raymond A. Carrier, aged 52
Flight Engineer
Jack A. Holland, aged 44
Systems & Failure Modes
General Electric CF6-50A Engine
The number 3 engine suffered an uncontained failure after bird ingestion. The disintegration was exacerbated by pulverized epoxy shroud material entering the high-pressure compressor, leading to case separation.
Hydraulic System No. 3
The failure of the No. 3 engine caused the loss of the No. 3 hydraulic system. This system provided pressure to the No. 2 brake system and the No. 3 system spoiler panels, all of which became inoperative.
Braking System
The loss of the No. 2 brake system (which was powered by hydraulic system No. 3) and the disintegration of at least three tires reduced total braking torque by approximately 50 percent.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft, named 'HolidayLiner Freedom', was one of only five DC-10-30CFs built for ONA.
- 02The aircraft was only 2 years old at the time of the accident.
- 03The Cockpit Voice Recorder was destroyed by the post-crash fire, rendering its data unrecoverable.
- 04The Flight Data Recorder stopped recording prematurely at 168 knots during the accident sequence.
- 05Eleven other severe bird strike incidents had occurred at JFK in the four months preceding the accident.
- 06Burning fuel entered an underground storm drain, creating a persistent fire that was difficult for airport firefighters to extinguish.
- 07The aircraft was loaded to 555,000 lbs, which was 1,000 lbs below its maximum takeoff weight, though some sources initially questioned the weight limits.
Safety Actions & Advisories
JFK Bird Hazard Management
The FAA mandated daily runway inspections, the elimination of sewer outlets and dumps that attracted gulls, and the removal of trees and rodents near the airport.
Engine Certification Standards
The NTSB recommended that the FAA and General Electric consider the effects of rotor imbalance on shroud materials during engine certification testing.
Seat Belt Restraint Improvements
Following the failure of flight attendant jumpseat restraints during this and a similar accident, recommendations were made to modify the locking mechanisms of American Safety Inc. seatbelts.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
General Electric Dissent
Reference ↗General Electric partially dissented from the NTSB findings, arguing that the engine failure was caused by the ingestion of tire and wheel debris rather than the birds themselves.