Mexico City – Guadalajara – Loreto – Tijuana – Los Angeles

On August 31, 1986 at 11:52 AM, Mexico City – Guadalajara – Loreto – Tijuana – Los Angeles experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-9, operated by AeroMéxico, 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 city crash site.

64 people were known to be on board, 79 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 123.4%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 58, passenger fatalities: 58, other fatalities: 15.

The listed crash cause is human factor. AeroMéxico flight AM498 was a scheduled passenger flight from Mexico City to Los Angeles with intermediate stops at Guadalajara, Loreto and Tijuana. The DC-9, named 'Hermosillo', departed Tijuana Airport at 11:20 and proceeded toward Los Angeles at FL100. At 11:44 Coast Approach Control cleared the flight to 7,000 feet. Just three minutes earlier Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee N4891F departed Torrance Airport, CA for a VFR flight to Big Bear, CA. On board were a pilot and two passengers. The Piper pilot turned to an easterly heading toward the Paradise VORTAC and entered the Terminal Control Area (TCA) without receiving clearance from ATC as required by FAR Part 91.90. At 11:47 the AeroMéxico pilot contacted LA Approach Control and reported level at 7,000 feet. The approach controller cleared flight 498 to depart Seal Beach on a heading of 320 degrees for the ILS runway "two five left final approach course...". At 11:51:04, the approach controller asked the flight to reduce its airspeed to 190 KIAS and cleared it to descend to 6,000 feet. At about 11:52:09, flight 498 and the Piper collided over Cerritos at an altitude of about 6,560 feet. The Piper struck the left hand side of the DC-9's horizontal and vertical stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer sliced through the Piper's cabin following which it separated from the tailplane. Both planes tumbled down out of control. The wreckage and post impact fires destroyed five houses and damaged seven others. Fifteen persons on the ground were killed. The sky was clear, the reported visibility was 14 miles.

Aircraft reference details include registration XA-JED, MSN 47356, year of manufacture 1969.

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