LAX88IA064

NTSB incident investigation · Boeing 737-300 · Los Angeles, CA · December 1, 1987

Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal report
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.

Miscellaneous/otherTaxi - from landing
Airport facilities,ramp facilities - congestedFactor
Airport facilities,runway marking - inadequateFactor
Airport facilities,taxiway marking - inaccurateFactor
Became lost/disoriented - inadvertentPilot in commandCause

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