Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Los Angeles Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Los Angeles, California 90009
Monday, June 22, 1987 20:39 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A BOEING 747SP COLLIDED WITH THE TAIL OF A BOEING 737. THE 737 WAS LINED UP ON A PARALLEL TAXIWAY AWAITING DEPARTURE. THE 747 WAS TAXIING FROM A TERMINAL GATE TO MAINTENANCE. THE 747 WAS BEING OPERATED BY TWO MECHANICS. ONE OF THE MECHANICS WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO TAXI THE 747. NO. 4 ENG HUNG START AND WAS NOT RUNNING DURING TAXI. THE NO. 4 ENG HYD SYS WAS SWITCHED OFF. THE NO. 4 HYD SYS IS THE PRIMARY POWER FOR THE ACFT BRAKE SYS. THE 747'S INERTIAL NAV SYS (INS) IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE WHILE TAXIING FOR SPEED REFERENCE. THE INS WAS ALSO SWITCHED OFF. THE 747 SPEED BECAME EXCESSIVE ON PARALLEL TAXIWAY. WHEN MECH ATTEMPTED TO STOP THERE WAS NO BRAKE POWER. 747 R WING COLLIDED WITH TAIL OF 737. THE AIRLINE MAINT SUPERVISOR OF 747'S WAS AWARE OF THE MECH NON-QUAL AND THE NO. 4 ENG NOT OPERATING. DECISION WAS MADE TO LET THE ACFT TAXI CONTRARY TO PROCEDURES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE QUALIFIED MECHANIC TO INSURE THE OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BRAKES PRIOR TO TAXIING AND HIS FAILURE TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENY BRAKE SYSTEM TO PREVENT THE COLLISION. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE DECISION OF AIRLINE MAINTENANCE SUPERVISORS TO ALLOW A NON-QUALIFIED MECHANIC TO PERFORM RIGHT SEAT/FLIGHT ENGINEER PANEL DUTIES. ALSO CONTRIBUTING WAS THE QUALIFIED MECHANICS FAILURE TO USE THE AIRCRAFT'S INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR CROSS REFERENCE OF TAXI SPEED.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/22/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 2039 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LOS ANGELES |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90009 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LOS ANGELES INT'L |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LAX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 126 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2042 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LAX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 126 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 83 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2664 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40095 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 7 2001 12:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N184AW | N141UA |
| NTSB Number | LAX87LA243A | LAX87LA243B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 121: Air Carrier | Part 121: Air Carrier |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BOEING | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | 737-277 | 747SP |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 737-277 | 747SP |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 22651 | 21023 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 110000 | 775000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 122 | 233 |
| Number of Engines | 2 | 4 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 102 | 171 |
| Airframe Hours | 13290 | 52233 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMERICA WEST AIRLINES | FIRST SECURITY BANK OF UTAH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4000 E. SKY HARBOR BLVD. | 79 S. MAIN ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | PHOENIX | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85034 | 84130 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | AMERICA WEST AIRLINES | UNITED AIRLINES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Street Address | 222 SOUTH MILL AVE. | P.O. BOX 66100 |
| Operator City | TEMPE | CHICAGO |
| Operator State | AZ | IL |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 85281 | 60666 |
| Operator Code | AWXA | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic | International |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ||
| Departure City | ||
| Departure State | ||
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 0 | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | ||
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PHX | |
| Destination City | PHOENIX | |
| Destination State | AZ | |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM | Dec 20 2002 12:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |