Boeing 747 ZKNZX

Summary

On 8 May 1989 at about 00:38 local time, a Boeing 747 registered ZKNZX, operated by Air New Zealand, was involved in an incident near Los Angeles, California, United States. 386 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 May 1989 at 00:38

Classification

Incident

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States

Nearest airport

Los Angeles (LAX)

Coordinates

33.9502, -118.4005

Aircraft

Boeing 747

Registration

ZKNZX

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

Air New Zealand

Operating rule

Part 129: Foreign

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Papeete, Tahiti → Los Angeles

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX89IA184

3 people had minor injuries.

INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOK-OUT BY THE PILOT OF THE OTHER (SMALL TWIN ENGINE) AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WAS: A DELAY OF THE 747 CREW TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE OTHER AIRCRAFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AIR NEW ZEALAND FLT 6 (BOEING B-747, ZK-NZX) WAS INBOUND TO LOS ANEGLES. IT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 7000 FT ABOUT 26 MI SOUTH OF THE SEAL BEACH VOR. COAST TRACON WAS TRACKING THE 747 & ANOTHER MODE C TARGET, BUT WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE 2ND (UNKNOWN) ACFT. ATC ISSUED TRAFFIC ADVISORIES TO THE 747 AS THE 2ND ACFT CLOSED ON A HEAD-ON COURSE. THE 747 CREW MADE AN ABRUPT DESCENDING LEFT TURN TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH WAS CONVERVING AT THE SAME ALTITUDE & PASSED WITH APRX 100 METERS HORIZONTAL DISTANCE. THE OTHER ACFT WAS RPRTD TO BE A SMALL TWIN ENG AIRPLANE. TWO FLT ATTENDANTS & ONE PSGR RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AREA & ALTITUDE WERE IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.