Aeroméxico Flight 498
Encyclopedia
Aeroméxico Flight 498, registration XA-JED, was a Douglas DC-9-32
on route from Mexico City
, Mexico to Los Angeles International Airport
, Los Angeles, California
, United States (with stops in Guadalajara
, Loreto
, and Tijuana
) on August 31, 1986. N4891F was a privately-operated Piper PA-28-181 Archer
owned by the Kramer family en route from Torrance
to Big Bear City, California
. The two aircraft collided in mid-air over Cerritos, California
, killing all 67 aboard both aircraft and 15 people on the ground. In addition, eight people on the ground sustained minor injuries from the crash.
the pilot and both passengers. The heavily-damaged Piper fell onto an empty playground at Cerritos Elementary School.
The DC-9, with most of its vertical and all of its horizontal stabilizer torn off, inverted and fell to the earth in a residential neighborhood at Holmes Avenue and Reva Circle in Cerritos, killing all 64 passengers and crew aboard the jetliner and 15 people on the ground. The impact and fire destroyed five houses and damaged seven more. A fire sparked by the crash contributed significantly to the damage.
When the air traffic controller assigned to Flight 498 could not find the aircraft on the radar, he called up an inbound American Airlines
jet for assistance. The pilot on American Airlines Flight 333 replied that he saw a large smoke plume off to his left, indicating that Flight 498 had crashed.
Thirty-six of the passengers were citizens of the United States. Of the Mexican citizens, 11 lived in the United States and 9 lived in Mexico. The Salvadoran citizen lived in the Bay Shore
area of the Town of Islip
, New York
, U.S. Of all of the passengers, 10 were identified as children.
Of the passengers on the Tijuana-Los Angeles leg:
investigation found that N4891F, the Piper, had entered the Los Angeles Terminal Control Area
without the required clearance. The TCA included a triangular slab of airspace from 6000 ft to 7000 ft altitude reaching south to 33.714N 118.007W, across the Piper's intended route; the Piper could legally fly beneath this airspace without contacting ATC, but instead climbed into it. The air traffic controller had also been distracted by another flight entering the TCA without clearance.
The Piper was not equipped (and was not then required to be) with a Mode C transponder
, which would have indicated its altitude, and LAX had not been equipped with automatic warning systems. Finally, apparently neither pilot sighted the other aircraft because neither attempted any evasive maneuvers, even though they were in visual range. When an autopsy revealed significant arterial blockage in the heart of the Piper's pilot, there was public speculation that he had suffered a heart attack
, causing incapacitation and contributing to the collision; further forensic evidence discounted this, and error on the part of the Piper pilot was determined to be the main contributing factor to the collision.
As a result of this accident and other near mid-air collisions (NMAC) in terminal control areas, the Federal Aviation Administration
required that all airliners be equipped with traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS
), and required that light aircraft operating in dense airspaces be equipped with "Mode C" transponders that could report three-dimensional position.
A jury ruled that the Aeroméxico
plane bore no fault, instead deciding that Kramer and the FAA each acted equally negligently and had equal responsibility. U.S. District Judge David Kenyon agreed with the notion that the FAA shared responsibility.
(Air Crash Investigation, Air Emergency) titled "Out of Sight" in the original and Air Emergency versions and "Collision over LA" in the Air Crash Investigation version.
On March 11, 2006, the City of Cerritos dedicated a new sculpture garden featuring a memorial to the victims of the accident. The sculpture, designed by Kathleen Caricof, consists of three pieces. One piece, which resembles a big wing, commemorates the victims aboard the Aeroméxico jet. A similar, but smaller, piece (which also sits atop a smaller pedestal) commemorates the victims aboard the Piper. A third piece, a bench, commemorates the victims on the ground. The bench also allows visitors to sit and reflect on the disaster.
The names of the victims are listed on the pedestals holding the two wing-like pieces. The smaller pedestal is dedicated "in loving memory" of those who perished on the ground, and the larger pedestal is dedicated "in memory" of those who perished aboard the two planes. The names on both pedestals are listed in alphabetical order.
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
on route from Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico to Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States (with stops in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Loreto
Loreto, Baja California Sur
Loreto was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Peninsula. It served as the capital of Las Californias from 1697 to 1777, and is the current seat of the municipality of Loreto in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur...
, and Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
) on August 31, 1986. N4891F was a privately-operated Piper PA-28-181 Archer
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....
owned by the Kramer family en route from Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
to Big Bear City, California
Big Bear City, California
Big Bear City is an unincorporated, census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California immediately east of Big Bear Lake. The population was 12,304 at the 2010 census, up from 5,779 at the 2000 census...
. The two aircraft collided in mid-air over Cerritos, California
Cerritos, California
Cerritos is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956...
, killing all 67 aboard both aircraft and 15 people on the ground. In addition, eight people on the ground sustained minor injuries from the crash.
Collision and crash
The Piper aircraft, N4891F, with the pilot and two passengers aboard, had departed Torrance, California at about 11:40 PDT. At about 11:46 Flight 498 began its descent into Los Angeles with 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. At 11:52, the Piper's engine collided with the left horizontal stabilizer of the DC-9, shearing off the top of the Piper's cockpit and decapitatingDecapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
the pilot and both passengers. The heavily-damaged Piper fell onto an empty playground at Cerritos Elementary School.
The DC-9, with most of its vertical and all of its horizontal stabilizer torn off, inverted and fell to the earth in a residential neighborhood at Holmes Avenue and Reva Circle in Cerritos, killing all 64 passengers and crew aboard the jetliner and 15 people on the ground. The impact and fire destroyed five houses and damaged seven more. A fire sparked by the crash contributed significantly to the damage.
When the air traffic controller assigned to Flight 498 could not find the aircraft on the radar, he called up an inbound American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
jet for assistance. The pilot on American Airlines Flight 333 replied that he saw a large smoke plume off to his left, indicating that Flight 498 had crashed.
Breakdown of casualties in the DC-9
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 20 | 6 | 26 | |
| 36 | 0 | 36 | |
| Total | 58 | 6 | 64 |
Thirty-six of the passengers were citizens of the United States. Of the Mexican citizens, 11 lived in the United States and 9 lived in Mexico. The Salvadoran citizen lived in the Bay Shore
Bay Shore, New York
Bay Shore is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, USA. It is situated on the south shore of Long Island, adjoining the Great South Bay. Bay Shore celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. The population of the CDP was 23,852 at the time of...
area of the Town of Islip
Islip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, U.S. Of all of the passengers, 10 were identified as children.
Of the passengers on the Tijuana-Los Angeles leg:
- 2 boarded in Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
- 6 boarded in GuadalajaraGuadalajaraGuadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
- 31 boarded at Loreto Airport
- 19 boarded in Tijuana
Investigation and aftermath
The National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
investigation found that N4891F, the Piper, had entered the Los Angeles Terminal Control Area
Terminal Control Area
A terminal control area , also known as a terminal manoeuvring area in Europe, is an aviation term to describe a designated area of controlled airspace surrounding a major airport where there is a high volume of traffic...
without the required clearance. The TCA included a triangular slab of airspace from 6000 ft to 7000 ft altitude reaching south to 33.714N 118.007W, across the Piper's intended route; the Piper could legally fly beneath this airspace without contacting ATC, but instead climbed into it. The air traffic controller had also been distracted by another flight entering the TCA without clearance.
The Piper was not equipped (and was not then required to be) with a Mode C transponder
Transponder (aviation)
A transponder is an electronic device that produces a response when it receives a radio-frequency interrogation...
, which would have indicated its altitude, and LAX had not been equipped with automatic warning systems. Finally, apparently neither pilot sighted the other aircraft because neither attempted any evasive maneuvers, even though they were in visual range. When an autopsy revealed significant arterial blockage in the heart of the Piper's pilot, there was public speculation that he had suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, causing incapacitation and contributing to the collision; further forensic evidence discounted this, and error on the part of the Piper pilot was determined to be the main contributing factor to the collision.
As a result of this accident and other near mid-air collisions (NMAC) in terminal control areas, the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
required that all airliners be equipped with traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS
Traffic Collision Avoidance System
A traffic collision avoidance system or traffic alert and collision avoidance system is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collisions between aircraft...
), and required that light aircraft operating in dense airspaces be equipped with "Mode C" transponders that could report three-dimensional position.
A jury ruled that the Aeroméxico
Aeroméxico
Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
plane bore no fault, instead deciding that Kramer and the FAA each acted equally negligently and had equal responsibility. U.S. District Judge David Kenyon agreed with the notion that the FAA shared responsibility.
Dramatization
This crash was featured in the April 24, 2007 episode of the television show MaydayMayday (TV series)
Mayday, also known as Air Crash Investigation in the United Kingdom, Australia and Asia and Air Emergency and Air Disasters in the United States, is a Canadian documentary television programme produced by Cineflix investigating air crashes, near-crashes and other disasters...
(Air Crash Investigation, Air Emergency) titled "Out of Sight" in the original and Air Emergency versions and "Collision over LA" in the Air Crash Investigation version.
Memorial
The names of the victims are listed on the pedestals holding the two wing-like pieces. The smaller pedestal is dedicated "in loving memory" of those who perished on the ground, and the larger pedestal is dedicated "in memory" of those who perished aboard the two planes. The names on both pedestals are listed in alphabetical order.
See also
- Allegheny Airlines Flight 853Allegheny Airlines Flight 853Allegheny Airlines Flight 853, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30, collided in mid-air with a Piper PA-28 at approximately 3,550 feet on September 9, 1969, near Fairland, Indiana. The DC-9 carried 78 passengers and 4 crew members. The Piper was leased to a student pilot making a solo cross-country flight...
- A similar crash that occurred in Fairland, IndianaFairland, IndianaFairland is a town in Shelby County, Indiana, United States. The population was 315 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fairland is located at ....
in 1969. - PSA Flight 182PSA Flight 182Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, registration N533PS, was a Boeing 727-214 commercial airliner that collided with a private Cessna 172 over San Diego, California on September 25, 1978. Pacific Southwest Airlines' first accident involving fatalities, the death toll of 144 makes it the...
- A similar crash that occurred in San Diego in 1978.
External links
- NYtimes.com, California Jet Crash Led to Sweeping Changes The New York Times
- Story Of Cerritos - Chapter 8 (Aeroméxico Flight 498)
- Collision in the "Birdcage"
- Real Life-Mary Wong Sky MagazineSky MagazineSky Magazine is the magazine distributed to subscribers of the BSkyB satellite service Sky Digital.- Availability :The magazine is available to subscribers of the Variety Pack or all packs of entertainment.- Content :...
October 2007 - DC 9 Crashes in Cerritos Residential Area.
- Landmark Accidents: Collision Over Cerritos
- Out of Sight - Aeromexico Flight 498
- Accident details at airdisaster.comAirdisaster.comAirDisaster.com is a website devoted to accidents and incidents on commercial airliners. It includes voice recordings, accident videos, reports and articles about a number of airliner crashes. It also includes crash statistics by company, plane model and year...
- Pre-crash photos of the airliner at airliners.net
- Aircraft details at Aviation Safety Network