Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cerritos, California 90701
Sunday, August 31, 1986 11:52 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The Safety Board's full report on this investigation is provided as Aviation Accident Report number AAR-87/07. To obtain a copy of this report, or to view the executive summary online, please see the Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm AT APRX 1140 PDT, A PIPER PA-28, N4891F, DEPARTED TORRANCE, CA ON A VFR FLT TO BIG BEAR, CA. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT TURNED EASTBOUND TWD THE PARADISE VORTAC WITH HIS X-PONDER SQUAWKING 1200. AT THAT TIME, AEROMEXICO FLT 498 (DC-8, MEX REGISTRY XA-JED) WAS ON ARRIVAL, RCVG NORTHBOUND VECTORS FM LAX APCH CTL (AR-1 CTLR) FOR AN ILS APCH TO THE LAX INTL ARPT. AT 1151:04, THE CTLR ASKED FLT 498 TO RDC SPD TO 190 KTS & DSCND FM 7000' TO 6000'. DRG THIS TIME, THE CTLR WAS CTLG OTR TRAFFIC & PROVIDING RADAR ADVISORIES, BUT DIDN'T SEE A DISPLAY FOR N4891F ON HIS SCOPE. AT 1152:09, N4891F & FLT 498 CONVERGED & COLLIDED AT APRX 6560', THEN FELL TO THE GND. AN INV REVEALED N4891F HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE LAX TERMINAL CONTROL AREA (TCA) & WASN'T IN RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC. LAX TRACON WASN'T EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTO CONFLICT ALERT SYS & THE ANALOG BEACON RESPONSE FM N4891F'S X-PONDER WASN'T DISPLAYED DUE TO EQUIP CONFIGURATION. N4891F'S PSN WAS DISPLAYED BY AN ALPHANUMERIC TRIANGLE, BUT THE PRIMARY TARGET WASN'T DISPLAYED DUE TO AN ATMOSPHERIC INVERSION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/31/1986
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1152
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City CERRITOS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90701
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1100 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 267
Weather Observation Facility ID LAX
Elevation of weather observation facility 63
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 14
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
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 Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 15
On Ground, Minor Injuries 8
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 82
Injury Total Minor 8
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 90
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 6032
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 31 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 31249
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 4:46PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number XAJED N4891F
NTSB Number DCA86AA041A DCA86AA041B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 129: Foreign Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Destroyed Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name McDonnell Douglas PIPER
Aircraft Model DC-9-32 PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier DC-9-32 PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number S/N 47356 28-779007
Certified Max Gross Weight 109000 2450
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign 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 121 4
Number of Engines 2 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown Unknown
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- 0
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed No Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name AERONAVES DE MEXICO, S.A. WILLIAM KRAMER
Aircraft Owner Street Address MEXICO CITY INT'L ARPT. 27909 RIDGE COVE COURT
Aircraft Owner City MEXICO D.F. RANCHO PALOS VE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90274
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder None
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 --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes No
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code TIJ TOA
Departure City TIJUANA,MEXICO TORRANCE
Departure State OF CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 1140
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt -- --
Destination Airport Code LAX L35
Destination City LOS ANGELES BIG BEAR CITY
Destination State CA CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach Climb
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 -- --