Collision of Aeronaves De Mexico, S.A. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, XA-JED and Piper PA-28-181, N4891F

What Happened

​On August 31, 1986, about 1152 Pacific daylight time, Aeronaves de Mexico, S.A., flight 498, a DC-9-32, Mexican Registration XA-JED, and a Piper PA-28-181, Unit d States Registration N4891F, collided over Cerritos, California. Flight 498, a regularly scheduled passenger flight, was on an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan from Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles International Airport, California, and was under radar control by the Los Angeles terminal radar control facility. The Piper airplane was proceeding; from Torrance, California toward Big Bear, California, under Visual Flight Rules, and was not in radio contact with any air traffic control facility when the accident occurred.

What We Found

​We determined that the probable cause of the accident was the limitations of the air traffic control system to provide collision protection, through both air traffic control procedures and automated redundancy. Factors contributing to the accident were (1) the inadvertent and unauthorized entry of t_he PA-28 into the Los Angeles Terminal Control Area and (2) the limitations of the 11 "see and avoid" concept to ensure traffic separation under the conditions of the conflict.​

What We Recommended

​​As a result of the investigation, we issued recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration​​.

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