Fairchild SA227AC accident near Los Angeles, California, January 18, 1989
On January 18, 1989 at about 1:44 am local time, a Fairchild SA227AC, registered N26895, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL TANKER DRIVER TO SEE AND AVOID THE MOVING AIRCRAFT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE DRIVER'S OBSTRUCTED VISIBILITY THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE'S CAB, AND THE DUSK LIGHT CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 1989 · about 1:44 am local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA227AC · all SA227ACs on the register
- Registration
- N26895 · no longer on the register · serial AC-656
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SA227 HAD LANDED & WAS TAXIING TO THE GATE WITH THE TAXI, LANDING, RECOGNITION & STROBE LIGHTS OFF. AS IT TAXIED NORTHBOUND TOWARD THE GATE, THE DRIVER OF AN EASTBOUND FUEL TANKER TRUCK FAILED TO STOP AT A POSTED 'STOP FOR ACFT' SIGN AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE VEHICLE SERVICE ROAD & THE TAXIWAY. THE TANKER TRUCK COLLIDE WITH, AND PARTIALLY SEVERED, THE ACFT'S LEFT WING. THE DRIVER OF THE TANKER TRUCK INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT OBSERVE THE ACFT UNTIL IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS TRUCK & THEN IT WAS TOO LATE TO STOP. THE TANKER TRUCK DRIVER'S 1:30-2:00 VIEW VIEW WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY THE TRUCK STRUCTURE; THE 2:00-3:00 VIEW CONSIDERABLY RESTRICTED BY THE TRUCK'S CAGE STRUCTURE & EQUIPMENT CONTAINED THEREIN. AIRPORT REGULATIONS REQUIRE THAT 'LOW SILHOUTTE' AIRCRAFT TAXI WITH LANDING LIGHTS ON UNTIL CLEAR OF TAXIWAYS AND INTERSECTING VEHICLE ACCESS ROADS.
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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,860 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 307 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command; 2,300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,718 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 15, 1989; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,500 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skywest Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ONT Ontario CA at 1:15 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.