Aeroméxico Flight 498
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Aeroméxico Flight 498 was a scheduled commercial flight from
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, Mexico, to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, California, United States, with several intermediate stops. On Sunday, August 31, 1986, the
McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast, single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced as the Douglas DC-9 prior to August 1967, after which point the company had merged with McDonnell ...
operating the flight was clipped in the tail section by N4891F, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee owned by the Kramer family, and crashed into the Los Angeles suburb of Cerritos, killing all 64 on the DC-9, all three on the Piper, and an additional 15 people on the ground. Eight on the ground also sustained minor injuries. Blame was assessed equally on the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) and the pilot of the Cherokee. No fault was found with the DC-9 or the actions of its crew.


Background


Accident summary

On Sunday, August 31, 1986, around 11:46 am PDT, Flight 498 began its descent into Los Angeles with 58 passengers and six crew members on board. At 11:52 am, the Piper collided nearly perpendicular to the upper left side of the
horizontal stabilizer A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a small lifting surface located on the tail ( empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...
support structure of the DC-9, shearing off the top of the Piper's cockpit and decapitating Kramer and both of his passengers. The heavily damaged Piper descended uncontrollably after the collision, entering a flat spin, and falling onto an empty playground at The DC-9, with its horizontal stabilizer, rudder, and half of its vertical stabilizer torn off, over-banked to the right until it became inverted, and simultaneously entered a steep dive. It slammed into a residential neighborhood at Holmes Avenue and Reva Circle in Cerritos, crashing into the back yard of a house at 13426 Ashworth Place, where it exploded on impact. The explosion scattered the DC-9's wreckage across Holmes Avenue and onto Carmenita Road, destroying four other houses and damaging seven more. All 64 passengers and crew on board died (plus 15 people on the ground);
Copy at
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
a fire added to the damage.


Aircraft

The larger aircraft involved, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, with tail number XA-JED, named ''
Hermosillo Hermosillo (), formerly called Pitic (as in ''Santísima Trinidad del Pitic'' and ''Presidio del Pitic''), is a city in the center of the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the municipal seat of the Hermosillo municipality, the state's ...
'', was delivered in April 1969 to
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...
as N1277L before entering into service with Aeroméxico in November 1979. It was flying from Mexico City to
Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
(LAX), with intermediate stops in
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
, Loreto, and
Tijuana Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...
. N4891F was a privately operated Piper PA-28-181 Archer owned by the Kramer family, which was flying from Torrance to Big Bear City, California. The Piper aircraft was piloted by William Kramer, 53. His wife Kathleen, 51, and daughter Caroline, 26, were also aboard. Their plane had departed Torrance around Kramer had 231 flight hours of experience and had moved to Southern California within the last year from
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
. The cockpit crew of Flight 498 consisted of Captain Arturo Valdes Prom (46) and First Officer Jose Hector Valencia (26). The captain had 4,632 hours of flying experience in the DC-9 and a total of 10,641 flight hours. The first officer had flown 1,463 hours, of which 1,245 hours had been accumulated in the DC-9.


Passengers and crew

Thirty-six of the passengers were citizens of the United States. Of the 20 Mexican citizens, 11 lived in the U.S. and nine lived in Mexico. One Salvadoran citizen lived in Islip,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
. Ten of the passengers were children.


Investigation and aftermath

The U.S.
National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 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 inci ...
(NTSB) investigation found that the Piper had entered the Los Angeles Terminal Control Area (TCA) airspace (now Class B Airspace) without the required clearance. The TCA included a triangular slab of airspace from of altitude, reaching south to across the Piper's intended flight path. The Piper could legally fly beneath this airspace without contacting air traffic control (ATC), but instead climbed into the TCA. The ATC had been distracted by another unauthorized private flight, a Grumman AA-5B Tiger, entering the TCA directly north of the airfield, which also did not have clearance. The Piper was not equipped with a mode C
transponder In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
, nor was one required, which would have indicated its altitude, and LAX was not equipped with automatic warning systems. Neither pilot appeared to have attempted any evasive maneuvers, because neither pilot sighted the other aircraft, although they were in visual range. When an
autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
revealed significant arterial blockage in Kramer's heart, public speculation arose suggesting that he had experienced a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
that incapacitated him and led to the collision, but further forensic evidence discounted the theory and Kramer's error was determined to be the main contributing factor to the collision. As a result of this accident and other near-midair collisions in TCAs, the FAA required that all large commercial jets in U.S. airspace be equipped with a
traffic collision avoidance system A traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), pronounced ), also known as an Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS), is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collision (MAC) between aircraf ...
and required that light aircraft operating in dense airspaces be equipped with mode C transponders, which can report their altitude. A jury ruled that the DC-9 bore no fault, instead deciding that Kramer and the FAA each acted equally negligently and bore equal responsibility. Federal Air Regulations 14 CFR 91.113 (b) require pilots of all aircraft to maintain vigilance to "see and avoid" other aircraft that might be on conflicting flight paths. The
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...
applied the
Supreme Court of California The Supreme Court of California is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the judiciary of California, courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly ...
's ruling in '' Thing v. La Chusa'' to extend recovery for
negligent infliction of emotional distress The tort of negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) is a controversial cause of action, which is available in nearly all U.S. states but is severely constrained and limited in the majority of them. The underlying concept is that one ...
to Theresa Estrada, whose husband and two of four children were killed on the ground as the result of the crash. In the television documentary ''Mayday'', Estrada reported that she saw the explosion from a distance; ''Thing'' requires that the person be at the scene and aware of the injury being caused to the victim. She arrived minutes later, with her home consumed by fire and surrounded by burning homes, cars, and aircraft debris. In a separate trial on damages, the Estrada family was awarded a total of $868,263 (about $1,908,674.77 in 2024) in economic damages and $4.7 million in noneconomic damages (about $10.3 million in 2024), including $1 million (about $2,198,268.00 in 2024) for the negligent infliction of emotional distress.''In Re Air Crash Disaster Near Cerritos''
967 F.2d 1421
(9th Cir.1992)


In popular culture

The Discovery Channel Canada/
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
television series ''
Mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiz ...
'' featured the accident in a season-four episode titled "
Out of Sight ''Out of Sight'' is a 1998 American action comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel. The first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and actor George Clooney, it was ...
". The accident was featured again during season eight in a compilation episode titled " System Breakdown". A similar accident is depicted in the ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...
'' episode " ABQ". It is featured in season one, episode five, of the TV show '' Why Planes Crash'', in an episode called "Collision Course". In August 2022,
KNBC KNBC (channel 4) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast of the United States, West Coast flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network ...
produced ''The Nightmare of Flight 498'', led by reporter Hetty Chang, who had been a seven-year-old child residing in the neighborhood where the DC-9 crashed and a student at the school where the Piper Cherokee crashed. Interspersed with news reports from the crash, Chang interviewed her parents, neighbors (including one who resided at 13426 Ashworth Place where the DC-9 exploded), and first responders about their recollections of the crash.


Gallery of memorial at the Cerritos Sculpture Garden


See also

* American Airlines Flight 5342, a similar midair collision near
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, in 2025 * TWA Flight 553, a similar crash that occurred in 1967 near
Urbana, Ohio Urbana is a city in Champaign County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located about northeast of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton and west of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 11,115 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
, and involved a new DC-9 and a small plane * Piedmont Airlines Flight 22, a similar crash that occurred with a 727 in
Hendersonville, North Carolina Hendersonville is a city in and the county seat of Henderson County, North Carolina, United States, located south of Asheville, North Carolina, Asheville. Like the county, the city is named for 19th-century North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Jus ...
, in 1967 * Allegheny Airlines Flight 853, a similar crash that occurred, also with a DC-9 and Piper Cherokee, in Fairland, Indiana in 1969 * Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, a similar midair collision between a
Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavier Boeing 707, 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter ...
and a Cessna 172 in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, in 1978 *
Proteus Airlines Flight 706 Proteus Airlines Flight 706 was a scheduled commuter flight from Lyon, France to Lorient, France. On July 30, 1998, the Beechcraft 1900D operating the flight collided in mid-air with a Cessna 177 over Quiberon Bay, Brittany. Both aircraft cr ...
, a similar midair collision between a
Beechcraft 1900 The Beechcraft 1900 is a U.S made twin-engine turboprop regional airliner manufactured by Beechcraft. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport, and by several governmental and military organizations. With customers favoring ...
and a Cessna 177 Cardinal over
Quiberon Bay Quiberon Bay (, ; ) is an area of sheltered water on the south coast of Brittany. The bay is in the Morbihan département. Geography The bay is roughly triangular in shape, open to the south with the Gulf of Morbihan to the north-east and the ...
,
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, in 1998 * Hughes Airwest Flight 706, a similar midair collision between a DC-9 and a
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...
over
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, in 1971


References


External links


NTSB.gov
Brief of Accident, NTSB, adopted March 7, 1988
NTSB Safety Recommendation LetterAlternate
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aeroméxico Flight 498 1986 in California Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Aeroméxico accidents and incidents Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error Airliner accidents and incidents in California August 1986 in the United States Aviation accidents and incidents caused by air traffic controller error Aviation accidents and incidents in California Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1986 Cerritos, California History of air traffic control Mid-air collisions involving airliners Mid-air collisions involving general aviation aircraft Mid-air collisions in the United States