American Airlines DC-10 , Windsor Accident Summary - page 1 of 5

On June 12, 1972, American Airlines, Flight 96, a DC-10-10, departed Detroit-Metropolitan Airport for Buffalo-Greater Buffalo International Airport at 1920. There were 56 passengers and a crew of 11 aboard the aircraft.

At about 1925, near Windsor, Ontario, Canada, while the airplane was at approximately 11,750 feet altitude and climbing at 260 Knots Indicated Airspeed (KIAS), the aft cargo door separated from the airplane. The flight crew heard and felt a "thud." Simultaneously, dust and dirt flew up into their faces, the rudder pedals moved to the full left rudder position, all three thrust levers moved back to near the flight idle position, and the airplane yawed to the right. The captain reported that he lost his vision momentarily; he thought that a midair collision had occurred and that the windshield had been lost.

In the cabin most of the flight attendants heard a loud noise, observed "fog" in the cabin, and felt motion of the cabin air. They recognized the rapid decompression of the cabin air. The decompression of the cabin air through the aft cargo compartment door caused the cabin floor in the aft lounge area to fall downward and partially drop into the cargo compartment. No passengers were in this area of the cabin; however, two flight attendants, who were in their seats at the aft exits, were thrown to the floor and received minor injuries.

An emergency was declared and the airplane began to return to Detroit-Metropolitan Airport. The fight crew was having problems flying the airplane. The No. 2 engine thrust lever could not be moved. The elevator response was extremely sluggish and directional control required continuous left aileron input. Also the rudder control was not available and the airplane remained in a right yaw. The captain applied power on the Nos. 1 and 3 engines to assist in pitch-up control. The airplane landed safely at 1944.

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