Boeing 737-300 N388US

Summary

On 2 February 1991 at about 02:07 local time, a Boeing 737-300 registered N388US, operated by Usair, was involved in an accident near Los Angeles, California, United States. 101 people were on board and 34 died, 13 were seriously injured, 17 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 February 1991 at 02:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States

Nearest airport

Los Angeles International (LAX)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Boeing 737-300

Registration

N388US

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Usair

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbus → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

DCA91MA018

34 people died.

THE FAILURE OF THE LOS ANGELES AIR TRAFFIC FACILITY MANAGEMENT TO IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES THAT PROVIDED REDUNDANCY COMPARABLE TO THE REQUIREMENTS CONTAINED IN THE NATIONAL OPERATIONAL POSITION STANDARDS AND THE FAILURE OF THE FAA AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE POLICY DIRECTION AND OVERSIGHT TO ITS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITY MANAGERS. THESE FAILURES CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT IN THE LOS ANGELES AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THE FAILURE OF THE LOCAL CONTROLLER 2 (LC2) TO MAINTAIN AN AWARENESS OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION, CULMINATING IN THE INAPPROPRIATE CLEARANCES AND THE SUBSEQUENT COLLISION OF THE USAIR AND SKYWEST AIRCRAFT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE FAA TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE QUALITY ASSURANCE OF THE ATC SYSTEM. (NTSB REPORT AAR-91/08)

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.