Boeing 747 incident near Los Angeles, California, May 8, 1989
On May 8, 1989, a Boeing 747, registered ZKNZX, was involved in an incident near Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 3 people had minor injuries; 383 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOK-OUT BY THE PILOT OF THE OTHER (SMALL TWIN ENGINE) AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WAS: A DELAY OF THE 747 CREW TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE OTHER AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1989
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Los Angeles · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 383 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 747 · all 747s on the register
- Registration
- ZKNZX · no longer on the register · serial 22724
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIR NEW ZEALAND FLT 6 (BOEING B-747, ZK-NZX) WAS INBOUND TO LOS ANEGLES. IT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 7000 FT ABOUT 26 MI SOUTH OF THE SEAL BEACH VOR. COAST TRACON WAS TRACKING THE 747 & ANOTHER MODE C TARGET, BUT WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE 2ND (UNKNOWN) ACFT. ATC ISSUED TRAFFIC ADVISORIES TO THE 747 AS THE 2ND ACFT CLOSED ON A HEAD-ON COURSE. THE 747 CREW MADE AN ABRUPT DESCENDING LEFT TURN TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH WAS CONVERVING AT THE SAME ALTITUDE & PASSED WITH APRX 100 METERS HORIZONTAL DISTANCE. THE OTHER ACFT WAS RPRTD TO BE A SMALL TWIN ENG AIRPLANE. TWO FLT ATTENDANTS & ONE PSGR RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AREA & ALTITUDE WERE IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE.
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, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 834,240 lb
- Seats: 495
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce RB211-524D4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air New Zealand
The flight
- Departed from: NTAA Papeete,Tahiti OF
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 17 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 366 |
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.