# NTSB LAX83IA073: Boeing 747-123, N9664, Los Angeles, CA, January 16, 1983

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: January 16, 1983, 08:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place: Los Angeles, CA
- Location: 33.9425° N, 118.4080° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LOS ANGELES INTL (LAX), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9425&lon=-118.4080&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 412 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 23580
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX83IA073
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/23580/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX83IA073

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Main gear collapsed, taxi - to takeoff
  - landing gear,main gear strut - fatigue (cause)
  - landing gear,main gear strut - failure,total (cause)
  - landing gear,main gear strut - disintegrated

## Analysis

THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE THE ACFT WAS TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF. DISSAMBLY REVEALED THAT THE OUTER CYLINDER WAS SHATTERED & METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED ABRASIVE GRINDING & ENVIRONMETALLY ACCELERATED FATIGUE PRIOR TO RAPIDFRACTURE.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N9664 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 747-123
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 20103
- Airframe hours: 35806
- Engines: P&W JT9D 41000 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: Minor damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: American Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport
- Destination: JFK, NEW YORK, NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: LAX, Los Angeles

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 52; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 16,800 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 15 statute miles

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Incident 19830116003419I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830116003419I), Jan 16, 1983: Boeing 747123, Los Angles, CA, Substantial damage. Taxiing for takeoff left wing gear collapsed. Passengers deplaned. Found left wing gear outer cylinder shattered.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.