Boeing 727-224 and Cessna 310R accident near Los Angeles, California, February 26, 1987
On February 26, 1987 at about 3:38 am local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 727-224 (N88704) and Cessna 310R (N98834), were involved in the same accident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Intl airport). No one was hurt; 92 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1987 · about 3:38 am local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 92 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 727-224 · all 727-224s on the register
- Registration
- N88704 · no longer on the register · serial 19513
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N98834 · registry record · serial 0603
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Boeing 727-224 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A NGT LNDG ON NORTH SIDE OF LOS ANGELES INTL ARPT, CESSNA 310, N98834, WAS TAXIED SOUTH (S) TO DELTA CARGO AREA. BFR RCHG S RWYS (25L & 25R), THE PLT STOPPED SHORT OF KILO RAMP BHND ANOTHER ACFT (N61C) & CONTACTED S GND CTLR (GC-1). HE WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. CONT FLT 866 (BOEING 727, N88704) ADZD S LCL CTLR (LC-1) HE WAS READY FOR TKOF (ON RWY 25R). LC-1 WAS AWARE N98823 & N61C WERE WAITING TO CROSS S RWYS & GRANTED APPROVAL FOR GC-1 TO CLR THEM ACROSS 25R. GC-1 CLRD THEM ACROSS 25R & TOLD THEM TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L. APRX 32 SEC LATER, LC-1 CLRD FLT 866 FOR TKOF. LATER HE SAID HE HAD SCANNED THE RWY & SAW WHAT HE PERCEIVED AS 2 ACFT BTN THE PARALLEL RWYS. HOWEVER, N98834 WAS STILL X-ING RWY 25R AS FLT 866 BGN TKOF. THE CESSNA PLT WAS FOCUSING HIS ATTN ON THE ACFT AHEAD & DID NOT SEE FLT 866. SHORTLY AFTER FLT 866 LIFTED OFF, ITS MAIN GEAR HIT THE CESSNA'S VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE TWR CAB SUPVR WAS WORKING A NORTH CTLR'S POSITION WHILE THE CTLR WAS ON A RELIEF BREAK. LC-1 WAS INVOLVED IN OTHER OPNL ERRORS ON 12/21/85, 7/9/86 & 10/28/86.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 310R final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A NGT LNDG ON NORTH SIDE OF LOS ANGELES INTL ARPT, CESSNA 310, N98834, WAS TAXIED SOUTH (S) TO DELTA CARGO AREA. BFR RCHG S RWYS (25L & 25R), THE PLT STOPPED SHORT OF KILO RAMP BHND ANOTHER ACFT (N61C) & CONTACTED S GND CTLR (GC-1). HE WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. CONT FLT 866 (BOEING 727, N88704) ADZD S LCL CTLR (LC-1) HE WAS READY FOR TKOF (ON RWY 25R). LC-1 WAS AWARE N98823 & N61C WERE WAITING TO CROSS S RWYS & GRANTED APPROVAL FOR GC-1 TO CLR THEM ACROSS 25R. GC-1 CLRD THEM ACROSS 25R & TOLD THEM TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25L. APRX 32 SEC LATER, LC-1 CLRD FLT 866 FOR TKOF. LATER HE SAID HE HAD SCANNED THE RWY & SAW WHAT HE PERCEIVED AS 2 ACFT BTN THE PARALLEL RWYS. HOWEVER, N98834 WAS STILL X-ING RWY 25R AS FLT 866 BGN TKOF. THE CESSNA PLT WAS FOCUSING HIS ATTN ON THE ACFT AHEAD & DID NOT SEE FLT 866. SHORTLY AFTER FLT 866 LIFTED OFF, ITS MAIN GEAR HIT THE CESSNA'S VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE TWR CAB SUPVR WAS WORKING A NORTH CTLR'S POSITION WHILE THE CTLR WAS ON A RELIEF BREAK. LC-1 WAS INVOLVED IN OTHER OPNL ERRORS ON 12/21/85, 7/9/86 & 10/28/86.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the Boeing 727-224 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 191,500 lb
- Seats: 134
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Houston TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25R, 12,091 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:48 am from LAX, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 7 | |||
| Passengers | 84 |
The factual record for the Cessna 310R from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,779 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 2,573 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lompoc Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Oxnard CA at 2:40 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25R, 12,091 ft by 150 ft
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N88704 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX87MA125.