Fairchild SA227-AC accident near Los Angeles, California, September 7, 1989
On September 7, 1989 at about 3:02 am local time, a Fairchild SA227-AC, registered N27283, 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; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FUEL TRUCK DRIVER'S IMPROPER OPERATION OF THE VECHICLE ON THE AIRPORT. FACTORS WERE THE DRIVER'S DIVERTED ATTENTION AND THE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY COMPANY MANAGEMENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1989 · about 3:02 am local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild SA227-AC · all SA227-ACs on the register
- Registration
- N27283 · registry record · serial AC-729
- 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
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS ATC CLEARANCE, A SKYWEST AIRLINES FAIRCHILD (METROLINER) WAS TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF FOR ITS SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PROCEEDING W-BND ON INNER TAXIWAY KILO. A FULLY LOADED, 10,000 GAL JET-A FUEL TANKER TRUCK, BEING DRIVEN BY A TRAINEE DRIVER, WAS PROCEEDING E-BND ON A SERVICE VEHICLE ACCESS ROAD SOUTH OF KILO. THE TRAINEE WAS FOLLOWING HIS TRAINER WHO WAS IN A SIMILAR SIZE TANKER TRUCK. THE TRAINER TURNED LEFT (N-BND), CROSSED KILO NEAR TAXIWAY 47J, & PROCEEDED TOWARD THE BRADLEY INTL TERMINAL. THE TRAINEE WAS LEFT ALONE, SOUTH OF KILO. THE TRAINEE THEN TURNED LEFT & PROCEEDED N-BND IN AN EFFORT TO CROSS KILO. THE TRAINEE FAILED TO OBSERVE THAT KILO WAS OCCUPIED BY THE W-BND FAIRCHILD, & THE VEHICLES COLLIDED. THE COLLISION BROKE THE ACFT'S LEFT WING, FUEL SPILLED & SPARKS WERE GENERATED. THERE WAS NO FIRE & ALL OCCUPANTS EVACUATED WITHOUT FURTHER MISHAP.
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: 3,400 hours in all; 1,872 in this make and model; 275 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,084 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- 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: LAX Los Angeles CA at 3:00 am
- Destination: SBA Santa Barbara CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 am from LAX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.