Aeromexico Flight 498

1
Aeromexico Flight 498

• Robyn C. Allen
• Nivair H. Gabriel
• Mikhail Goykhman

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Flight summary

• McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, midair collision with
  Piper PA-28-181
• August 31, 1986, 1152 a.m. PDT
• Collision occurred during DC-9s descent to LAX
• Both planes crashed in Cerritos, CA
• 64 killed on DC-9 3 killed on Piper 15 killed
  on ground

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ATC HF issues

• Two VFR aircraft entered LAX TCA (restricted
  airspace)
• Grumman AA-5 distracted controller moments before
  collision
• Piper PA-28 was far off its flight plan, but not
  in radio contact with ATC
• Very basic transponders - no altitude information
  transmitted to ATC

4
ATC HF issues

• ATC Grumman six six romeo, are you at four
  thousand five hundred now?
• Grumman Uh, negative, we're at three thousand
  four hundred climbing.
• ATC OK, you're right in the middle of the TCA,
  sir. Grumman six six romeo, I would suggest in
  the future you look at your TCA chart. You just
  had an aircraft pass right off your left above
  you at five thousand and we run a lot of jets
  through there right at thirty five hundred.
• Grumman I was with coast approach and they did
  not advise me of this ...

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ATC HF issues

• Inadequate collision avoidance system
• Did not incorporate planes with old transponders
• Controller received no audio warning
• Problems with radar at TRACON
• LAX controller (not on duty at time of collision)
  cited occasional target blackouts
• We had reported problems several times

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References

• NTSB AAR 87-07. 7 July 1987. Retrieved 14
  September 2007, http//www.ntsb.gov/
• Aircrash Investigation Aeromexico Flight 498.
  Retrieved 14 September 2007, http//video.google.c
  om/videoplay?docid-4345028660515857855
• Landsberg, Bruce. Landmark Accidents Collision
  over Cerritos. January 2001. Retrieved 16
  September 2007, http//www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticle
  s/2001/sp0101.html