- Date
- August 31, 1986, 11:52 local (18:52 UTC)
- Place
- Cerritos, CA
- Injuries
- 82 fatal, 8 minor; on the ground: 15 fatal, 8 minor
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- XAJEDMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-32N4891FPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 7, 1988
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19860831086981A
- Case key
- 15857
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
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 arriival, 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.
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.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- XAJED
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- S/N 47356
- Engine
- P&W JT8D, 14,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 129
- Registered owner
- Aeronaves De Mexico, S.A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- TIJ · Tijuana,Mexico, OF
- Destination
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Registration
- N4891F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-779007
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Kramer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TOA · Torrance, CA
- Destination
- L35 · Big Bear City, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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, aircraft 1
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,641 total · 4,632 in this make and model · 147 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4891F
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 231 total · 214 in this make and model · 187 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 14 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAX, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.