We have investigated the orientation state of a dilute fiber suspension flow in a planar contraction at high Reynolds numbers in turbulent flow. High speed imaging is used to directly measure the orientation distribution function at different downstream positions along the contraction centerline. The results from the direct measurement of the orientation distribution are used to evaluate the existing closure models. The results show that the fitted orthotropic and natural closure approximations give almost identical results with the best agreement to the orientation distribution in the contraction flow considered here. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.