Los Angeles Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Los Angeles, California 90045
Friday, August 7, 1987 11:27 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG ARR, JAPAN AIRLINE FLT 62 (BOEING 747, JA-8163) WAS INITIALLY VECTORED (BY LAX ARTCC) FOR AN ILS RWY 24R APCH IN REDUCED VISIBILITY (HAZE). BFR TURNING FINAL, FLT 62 WAS ADZD OF AN ACFT THAT WAS 4 MI AHEAD. FLT 62 RPRTD THAT THEY HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT. THE CTLR TOLD THEM TO TURN TO 230 DEG FOR FINAL APCH & TO FOLLOW THE ACFT AHEAD, THEN CLRD THE FLT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R. AFTER CHGG TO TWR FREQ, THE TWR CTLR (LC-2) TOLD THE FLT TO CHG TO RWY 24L & THEN CLRDTHEM TO LAND. THE FLT ACKNOWLEDGED. LC-2 NOTED THE ACFT WAS TRACKING RGT OF COURSE & ASKED THE FLT TO VERIFY THE RWY WASIN SIGHT. THE CREW REPLIED THE RWY WAS NOT IN SIGHT & CONTD DSCNDG ON AN INBND HDG. LC-2 TOLD THE FLT THEY WOULD HAVE TOTURN SOUTHBOUND, THEN TOLD THEM TO 'TURN LEFT 10 DEG.' SUBSEQUENTLY, WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABT 3/4 MI EAST & 1 MI NORTH OF THE THRESHOLD AT 700 TO 800 FT, THE CREW MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN TO ALIGN THE ACFT WITH THE RWY BY TURNING FM A HDG OF 240 DEG TO 175 DEG & THEN TURNING BACK TO THE RGT. THE ACFT ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN, JUST BFR TOUCHING DOWN ON THE RWY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 8/7/1987
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1127
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LOS ANGELES
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90045
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LOS ANGELES INTL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID LAX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
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 1130 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID LAX
Elevation of weather observation facility 126
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
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 363
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 6011
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 7 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1145
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38804
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number J8163
NTSB Number LAX87IA303
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 129: Foreign
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage None
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING
Aircraft Model 747-300
Aircraft Series Identifier 747-300
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 833000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 495
Number of Engines 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JAPAN AIRLINES
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1350 BAYSHORE HWY 380
Aircraft Owner City BURLINGAME
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94010
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JAPAN AIRLINES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1350 BAYSHORE HWY 380
Operator City BURLINGAME
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94010
Operator Code JAL
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code RJAA
Departure City TOKYO, JAPAN
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 146
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code LAX
Destination City LOS ANGELES
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 24L
Runway Length 10285
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --