Copenhagen – Seattle – Los Angeles

On January 13, 1969 at 07:21 PM, Copenhagen – Seattle – Los Angeles experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-8, operated by Scandinavian Airlines System - SAS, with the event recorded near Los Angeles California.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

45 people were known to be on board, 15 fatalities were recorded, 30 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 33.3%.

Crew on board: 9, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 36, passenger fatalities: 12, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft crashed in Santa Monica Bay, approximately 6 nautical miles west at 1921LT. The aircraft was operating as flight SK933 from Seattle, Washington, to Los Angeles, following a flight from Copenhagen, Denmark. A scheduled crew change occurred at Seattle for the flight to Los Angeles. The accident occurred in the waters of Santa Monica Bay while the crew attempting an instrument approach to runway O7R at Los Angeles International Airport. Of the 45 persons aboard the aircraft, 3 passengers and one cabin attendant drowned, 9 passengers and 2 cabin attendants are missing and presumed dead; 11 passengers and 6 crew members including the captain, the second pilot, and the systems operator, were injured in varying degrees; and 13 passengers escaped without reported injury. The aircraft was destroyed by impact. The fuselage broke into three pieces, two of which sank approximately 350 feet of water. The third section including the wings, the forward cabin and the cockpit, floated for about 20 hours before being towed into shallow water where it sank. This section was later recovered and removed from the water. The weather at Los Angeles International Airport was generally: 1,700 feet broken, 3,500 feet overcast; visibility 4 miles in light rain and fog, wind 060° at 10 knots; and the altimeter setting was 29.87 inches of mercury. The weather in the accident area was reported to be similar.

Aircraft reference details include registration LN-MOO, MSN 45822/272, year of manufacture 1967.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 34.0587°, -118.4165°.