# NTSB LAX87IA304: Boeing 737, N754UA, Santa Monica, CA, August 12, 1987

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: August 11, 1987, 19:00 local (Aug 12, 1987, 02:00 UTC)
- Place: Santa Monica, CA
- Location: 34.0109° N, 118.4982° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Santa Monica, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0109&lon=-118.4982&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 46 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report July 10, 1989
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 25439
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX87IA304
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/25439/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX87IA304

## Sequence of events

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

- Near collision between aircraft, descent - normal
  - safety advisory - not issued, atc personnel(dep/apch)
  - monitoring - inadequate, atc personnel(dep/apch) (cause)
  - visual lookout - inadequate, pilot of other aircraft (cause)

## Analysis

THE PLTS OF A BOEING 737 REPORTED THAT A NEAR-COLLISION OCCURRED APRX 2.5 MILES EAST OF THE SANTA MONICA VOR WHILE THEY WERE DESCENDING THROUGH AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 7400 FT MSL. THE COPLT SAW THE OTHER ACFT FIRST & TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION. HE ESTIMATED THEY PASSED THE UNIDENTIFIED ACFT WITH APRX 100 FT SEPARATION. THE OTHER ACFT WAS NOT VISUALLY OBSERVED BY THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED OUTSIDE THE LOS ANGELES TCA WHERE ENCODING ALTIMETERS WERE NOT REQUIRED.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N754UA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N754UA-1992-11-02), registration cancelled 1992-11-02, S/N 19707 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOEING 737
- Registry model: [Boeing 737-244](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-244) (registry code 138448U) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 19707
- Engines: P&W JT8D 14500 horsepower turbo fan
- Damage: No damage
- Flight: Part 121
- Operator: American Airlines, Inc.
- Registered owner: First Security Bank Of Utah
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: SFO, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
- Destination: LAX, LOS ANGELES, CA
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 45; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 12,000 total, 9,000 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: LAX

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.

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