- Date
- December 1, 1987, 12:53 local (20:53 UTC)
- Place
- Los Angeles, CA
- Injuries
- 87 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4571MBoeing 737-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 25872
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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
Delta flt 1605 landed on rwy 25L. After crossing rwy 25R, the local controller instructed the flt to contact the gnd controller. The ground controller instructed the flt to turn west on the outer taxiway. The capt became disorientated and inadvertently reentered rwy 25R. He immediately realized his mistake and executed a 180 deg turn and exited the rwy. When the flt entered rwy 25R, united airlines flt 14, a DC-10 had already begun its takeoff roll. The capt aboard ual flt 14 elected to continue its takeoff roll, rotated and began its climb. Ual flt 14 crossed over delta flt 1605 about 200 ft a.g.l. delta's capt reptd that due to heavy construction at the terminal area he became disorientated even though he had flown at lax for many years. He also stated that the rwy 25R sign was not visible. Investigators found that the sign had been blown over. The first officer reptd that while the capt was taxiing the acft he was busy completing the after lndg checklist.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4571M
- Reported as
- Boeing 737-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- GE CFM-56, 20,560 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Delta Airlines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Delta Airlines, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAX · Los Angeles Intl, runway 25L, 11,096 × 200 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,581 total · 570 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None