- Date
- February 3, 2020, 03:00 local (11:00 UTC)
- Place
- Los Angeles, CA
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N703CKBoeing 747 412
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- FAA report
- 20200203002879A
- Case key
- 100934
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An unavoidable collision with a garbage dumpster that had blown into the path of the airplane during the takeoff roll.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
On February 3, 2020, about 0306 Pacific standard time, Kalitta Air flight 368, a Boeing 747-400, N703CK, collided with a garbage bin during the takeoff roll on runway 25R at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), Los Angeles, California. There were no injuries to the seven passengers and flight crew onboard and the airplane was substantially damaged. The domestic cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 supplemental from KLAX to Honolulu International Airport (PHNL), Honolulu, Hawaii. The captain stated that he was the pilot flying and, during the takeoff roll on runway 25R, between 80 and 110 knots (V1 was 131 knots), he noticed a large object "moving right to left at a good speed". A fraction of a second later it passed under the nose and impacted the airplane. He said that the impact was loud, and the airplane "settled", followed by severe vibration in the airplane. He immediately rejected the takeoff and stopped on the runway. At the time of the takeoff, winds were reported to be 15 knots, gusting to 28 knots, from 340 degrees. Authorities at the Los Angeles World Airports determined that the object blown onto the runway was a garbage dumpster.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N703CK
- Reported as
- Boeing 747 412 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24226
- Airframe hours
- 99,338.8
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PW4056, turbo fanPratt & Whitney PW4056, turbo fanPratt & Whitney PW4056, turbo fanPratt & Whitney PW4056, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Kalitta Air
- Registered owner
- Kalitta Air Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 18, 2019
- Departed
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- HNL · Honolulu, HI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAX · Los Angeles International, runway 25R, 10,951 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 25, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 20,404 total · 5,200 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 28, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 9,180 total · 7,284 as pilot in command · 144 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 340° at 15 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- LAX
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 6, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.