Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Los Angeles, California 90009
Wednesday, October 29, 1986 11:09 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG ARR, UNITED FLT 282 (BOEING 727, N7255U) WAS VECTORED BY LOS ANGELES (LAX) TRACON FOR AN ILS RWY 25L APCH. WHILE IN A DSCNDG TURN AT 2100' MSL TO INTERCEPT THE ILS LOC AT 2000', THE CAPT SAW A HELICOPTER (HEL) AHEAD & PULLED UP. HE ESTDHIS ACFT PASSED W/I 200' TO 300' OF THE HEL. THE HEL WAS A DEA ACFT (HUGHES 369D, N8620F) ON A SURVEILLANCE FLT. THE DEAPLT SAID HE WAS HOVERING BLO THE LAX TERMINAL CTL AREA (TCA) WHEN HE SAW THE BOEING MAKE A RGT TURN TWD THE LAX ARPT. HE SAID THE BOEING WAS IN HIS VIEW FOR THE ENTIRE TIME & IT WAS NOT A HAZARD TO HIM, BUT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT ITS LOW ALT. LATER, HE ADZD LAX TWR. THE DEA PLT STATED HE WAS OPERG BTN 1400' & 1900' & THAT THE HEL WAS AT 1300' WHEN THE BOEING CONVERGED. HE ESTD THE BOEING CROSSED 300' TO 400' ABV THE HEL. RADAR DATA INDCD THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED TO A SLANT RANGE OF 1500'. MIN VERT SEPN WAS 200'. RADAR DATA ALSO INDCD THAT FLT 282 REMAINED ABV THE TCA FLOOR (2000') & THAT THE HEL WAS BLO THE TCA. A LEAK WAS FND IN THE HEL'S PITOT STATIC SYS, WHICH CAUSED AN UNDETERMINED ERROR.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Incident
Event Date 10/29/1986
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1109
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City LOS ANGELES
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90009
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator --
On Ground Collision occurred ? --
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1052 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 250
Weather Observation Facility ID LAX
Elevation of weather observation facility 126
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
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) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
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) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 3800
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 73
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 5080
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 29 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1520
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37187
Date of most recent change to record Apr 9 2001 10:27AM
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 N7255U N8620F
NTSB Number LAX87IA027A LAX87IA027B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage None None
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING HUGHES
Aircraft Model 727-222 369D
Aircraft Series Identifier 727-222 369D
Aircraft Serial Number 21402 70160D
Certified Max Gross Weight 191500 3000
Aircraft Category Airplane Helicopter
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 147 5
Number of Engines 3 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection -- May 30 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection -- 90
Airframe Hours -- 3000
ELT Installed No Yes
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name UNITED AIRLINES DEPT OF JUSTICE, DEA
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 66100 P.O. BOX 534
Aircraft Owner City CHICAGO ADDISON
Aircraft Owner State IL TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 60666 75001
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 UALA
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 Domestic --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger/Cargo --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Public Use
Second Pilot on Board Yes No
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code MRV TOA
Departure City MONTEREY TORRENCE
Departure State CA CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 1020
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code LAX
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach Hover
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 25L 0
Runway Length 11096 0
Runway Width 200 0
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --