Введение
Столкновение двух самолетов на взлетно-посадочной полосе в 1991 году
On the evening of February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737 300, collided with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As Flight 1493 was on final approach, the local controller was distracted, though air traffic was not heavy at LAX, by a series of abnormalities, including a misplaced flight progress strip and an aircraft that had inadvertently switched off the tower frequency. The SkyWest flight was told to taxi into takeoff position, while the USAir flight was landing on the same runway. Upon landing, the 737 collided with the smaller turboprop Metroliner, which was crushed beneath the larger USAir jet as it continued down the runway, caught fire, and veered into an airport fire station. Rescue workers arrived in minutes and began to evacuate the 737, but because of the intense fire, three of the 737's six exits were unusable, including both front exits; front passengers could only use one of the two overwing exits, causing a bottleneck. All 12 people aboard the smaller plane were killed, along with an eventual total of 23 of the 89 occupants of the 737, with most deaths on the 737 caused by asphyxiation in the fire. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the probable cause of the accident was the procedures in use at the LAX control tower, which provided inadequate redundancy, leading to a loss of situational awareness by the local controller, and inadequate oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for failing to supervise the control tower managers. On February 1, 1991, Flight 1493 was operated using a Boeing 737 300 (registration ); after a crew change in Washington, DC,
On February 1, 1991, SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569 was operated using a twin engined Fairchild Metroliner (registration ). The flight was scheduled to depart LAX on the final leg of a multicity schedule, and was bound for Palmdale, California, with 10 passengers and two pilots aboard. The clearance delivery controller in charge of taxiing aircraft was Francita Vandiver, who had previously served as an ATC in the US Navy. She had been working at LAX since 1988. After four attempts by the local controller, the Wings West aircraft finally responded to the tower and apologized for switching frequencies. Wascher then cleared the USAir flight to land on 24L, even though the SkyWest Metroliner was still holding in takeoff position on the runway:
Abridged communication between USAir 1493 and the controllers, and among the USAir flight crew# = Expletive; * = Unintelligible word; = Questionable text; [] = Commentary; Shading = Radio communicationTimeSourceContent18:05:44Los Angeles towerSkyWest seven twenty five tower.18:05:47SkyWest Airlines 725Ah seven twenty five go ahead18:05:48Los Angeles towerYes sir. You're holding short, is that correct?18:05:50SkyWest Airlines 725Yes ma'am, we're holding short.18:05:51Los Angeles towerThank you. USAir fourteen ninety three cleared to land runway two four left.18:05:55CaptainCleared to land two four left fourteen ninety three. With this activity ongoing, another Wings West aircraft, a Metroliner similar to SkyWest 5569, called the tower reporting they were ready for takeoff. Wascher queried this aircraft about their position, and they told her they were holding on a taxiway short of 24L. The flight progress strip for this flight had not yet been given to Wascher by controller Vandiver (another distraction), and Wascher mistakenly thought this Metroliner was SkyWest 5569, thus the runway was clear of aircraft. The first officer of the USAir flight recalled hearing this conversation, but did not remember anyone being cleared to hold on the runway. Meanwhile, Wascher was busy handling other flights:
# = Expletive; * = Unintelligible word; = Questionable text; [] = Commentary; Shading = Radio communicationTimeSourceContent18:06:04USAir 2858Clear to land.18:06:07First officer* looks real good *.18:06:08Wings West 5072Tower wings west fifty seventy two is ready for takeoff.18:06:09CaptainAhhh, you're coming outta five hundred feet bug plus twelve, sink is seven.18:06:13Los Angeles TowerWings fifty seventy two?18:06:15Wings West 5072Affirmative.18:06:16[Sound of click]18:06:18Los Angeles TowerWings fifty seventy two, are you at forty seven or full length?18:06:19CaptainLights (on).18:06:20Wings West 5072We're at full length.18:06:21Los Angeles TowerOkay.18:06:26Los Angeles TowerHold short.18:06:27Wings West 5072Roger, holding short. 18:06:30Unknown* *.18:06:30Los Angeles TowerWings fifty seventy two say your squawk.18:06:33Wings West 5072Forty six fifty three.18:06:46Wings West 5212Los Angeles tower wings west fifty two twelve with you on a visual for two four right.18:06:55Los Angeles TowerSkyWest seven twenty five taxi into position and hold runway two four left. The USAir plane touched down near the runway threshold. Just as the nose was being lowered, the first officer noticed SkyWest 5569 on the runway and applied maximum braking, but it was too late. The following was recorded on the CVR:
# = Expletive; * = Unintelligible word; = Questionable text; [] = Commentary; Shading = Radio communicationTimeSourceContent18:06:57Voice unidentified[unintelligible remark]18:06:58SkyWest Airlines 725Seven twenty five position and hold two four left.18:06:59[Sound of impact]End of recording
The USAir plane slammed into the Metroliner, crushing it beneath its fuselage. The 737 proceeded to skid down the runway, then veered off the left side and came to rest on the far side of the taxiway against a closed fire station building, where it eventually caught fire. The captain of that charter aircraft, having just landed, powered up the engines to get away from the fireball of the accident. The Canucks were shaken by the experience and lost to the Kings by a score of 9–1, their worst loss of the 1990–91 season. Captain Shaw was killed when the nose of the aircraft struck the abandoned fire station, crushing the section of the cockpit where his seat was located. Of the remaining passengers and crew aboard USAir 1493, two crew members and 10 passengers sustained serious injuries, 2 crew members and 15 passengers sustained minor injuries, and 37 passengers received no injuries. Billionaire businessman David H. Koch was among the survivors. The majority of fatalities aboard USAir 1493 occurred to those seated in the front of the plane, where the postcrash fire originated in the forward cargo hold, fed by a combination of fuel from the wreckage of SkyWest 5569 and gaseous oxygen from the 737's damaged crew oxygen system. Everyone seated in row 6 or forward was either killed or sustained major injuries, while everyone aft of row 17 escaped, some with minor injuries. Only two passengers and one crew member managed to escape from the forward service (R1) door, while the main cabin (L1) door was inoperable due to damage. Only two passengers used the left over wing exit before the fire became too intense outside the aircraft. The majority of the survivors exited via the right over wing exit, with the rest of the surviving cabin occupants escaping through the rear service (R2) door. The rear passenger (L2) door was briefly opened during the course of the accident, but was quickly closed due to the spreading fire on that side of the aircraft. Multiple issues slowed the evacuation from the right over wing door, including a passenger seated in the exit row who could not open the door, a brief scuffle between two men at the exit, and the seatback of the exit window seat being folded forward, partially obstructing the exit. The captain was one of the few people who died of blunt force trauma, a blow to the head when the bulkhead collapsed as the aircraft collided with the firehouse. The first officer was rescued through the cockpit windows by some of the first firefighters to arrive on the accident scene. Shaw was found to have traces of phenobarbital in his blood. The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits use of the sedative before flying. The drug was prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome by Shaw's physicians, who said they had warned him not to use the medication while flying. Local controller Wascher, who cleared both aircraft to use the same runway, testified before the NTSB and accepted blame for causing the crash. She said she originally thought the landing USAir plane had been hit by a bomb, then "realized something went wrong I went to the supervisor and I said, 'I think this (the SkyWest plane) is what USAir hit.'" She testified that rooftop lights in her line of sight caused glare in the tower, making seeing small planes difficult at the intersection where the SkyWest plane was positioned. Just before the accident, she confused the SkyWest plane with another commuter airliner that was on a taxiway near the end of the runway. Making matters more difficult, the ground radar at LAX was not working on the day of the accident. The NTSB's investigation of the crash revealed that the cockpit crew of the landing USAir jet could not see the commuter plane, which blended in with other airport lights. The NTSB cited LAX's procedures which placed much of the responsibility for runways on the local controllers, which directly led to the loss of situational awareness by the local controller. The NTSB also noted that during the previous performance review, a supervisor had noted four deficiencies in the local controller who ultimately worked the accident aircraft. These deficiencies were not addressed prior to the accident, and two of the deficiencies were apparent in the accident sequence—her loss of situational awareness and aircraft misidentification.
Вечером 1 февраля 1991 года рейс 1493 авиакомпании USAir, Boeing 737-300, столкнулся с рейсом 5569 авиакомпании SkyWest Airlines, турбовинтовым самолетом Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner, при посадке в международном аэропорту Лос-Анджелеса (LAX). Когда рейс 1493 заходил на посадку, местный диспетчер был отвлечен, хотя интенсивность воздушного движения в LAX не была высокой, рядом факторов, включая неправильно расположенную полосу движения полетов и самолет, который непреднамеренно переключился с частоты диспетчерской вышки. Экипажу рейса SkyWest было дано указание вырулить на взлетную позицию, в то время как рейс USAir совершал посадку на той же взлетно-посадочной полосе. При посадке Boeing 737 столкнулся с меньшим турбовинтовым самолетом Metroliner, который был раздавлен под более крупным самолетом USAir, продолжавшим движение по взлетно-посадочной полосе, загорелся и выехал на территорию аэропортовой пожарной станции. Спасатели прибыли в течение нескольких минут и начали эвакуацию Boeing 737, но из-за сильного пожара три из шести выходов самолета оказались непригодными для использования, включая оба передних выхода; пассажиры в передней части самолета могли использовать только один из двух выходов над крылом, что создало затор. Все 12 человек на борту меньшего самолета погибли, а также в итоге 23 из 89 находившихся на борту Boeing 737, причем большинство смертей на Boeing 737 были вызваны удушьем от огня. Национальный совет по безопасности на транспорте (NTSB) установил, что вероятной причиной аварии были процедуры, используемые в диспетчерской вышке LAX, которые не обеспечивали достаточной избыточности, что привело к потере ситуационной осведомленности у местного диспетчера, а также недостаточный надзор со стороны Федерального управления гражданской авиации (FAA) за неспособностью контролировать работу руководителей диспетчерской вышки. 1 февраля 1991 года рейс 1493 выполнялся на Boeing 737-300 (регистрационный номер ); после смены экипажа в Вашингтоне, округ Колумбия, 1 февраля 1991 года рейс 5569 авиакомпании SkyWest Airlines выполнялся на двухмоторном Fairchild Metroliner (регистрационный номер ). Рейс должен был вылететь из LAX на последнем этапе многоэтапного маршрута и направлялся в Палмдейл, штат Калифорния, с 10 пассажирами и двумя пилотами на борту. Диспетчер выдачи разрешений на руление, отвечающий за управление самолетами, была Франсита Вандивер, которая ранее служила авиадиспетчером в ВМС США. Она работала в LAX с 1988 года. После четырех попыток местного диспетчера самолет Wings West наконец ответил на вызов диспетчерской вышки и извинился за переключение частот. Диспетчер Вашер затем разрешила рейсу USAir приземлиться на взлетно-посадочной полосе 24L, хотя SkyWest Metroliner все еще находился в позиции для взлета на взлетно-посадочной полосе: Сокращенная связь между рейсом USAir 1493 и диспетчерами, а также между членами экипажа рейса USAir # = Ненормативная лексика; * = Неразборчивое слово; = Сомнительный текст; [] = Комментарий; Затенение = РадиосвязьTimeSourceContent18:05:44Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаSkyWest seven twenty five tower.18:05:47SkyWest Airlines 725Ah seven twenty five go ahead18:05:48Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаДа, сэр. Вы стоите на короткой дистанции, верно?18:05:50SkyWest Airlines 725Да, мэм, мы стоим на короткой дистанции.18:05:51Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаСпасибо. USAir fourteen ninety three, разрешаю посадку на взлетно-посадочной полосе два четыре лево.18:05:55КапитанРазрешено посадка на два четыре лево, fourteen ninety three. В то время как эта деятельность продолжалась, другой самолет Wings West, Metroliner, аналогичный SkyWest 5569, связался с диспетчерской вышкой, сообщив, что готов к взлету. Вашер спросила этот самолет о его местоположении, и ему ответили, что он стоит на рулежной дорожке перед 24L. Полоса движения полетов для этого рейса еще не была передана Вашер диспетчером Вандивер (еще одно отвлечение), и Вашер ошибочно подумала, что этот Metroliner - SkyWest 5569, следовательно, взлетно-посадочная полоса свободна от самолетов. Второй пилот рейса USAir вспомнил, что слышал этот разговор, но не помнил, чтобы кому-либо было разрешено оставаться на взлетно-посадочной полосе. Тем временем Вашер была занята обработкой других рейсов: # = Ненормативная лексика; * = Неразборчивое слово; = Сомнительный текст; [] = Комментарий; Затенение = РадиосвязьTimeSourceContent18:06:04USAir 2858Разрешено посадка.18:06:07Второй пилот* выглядит очень хорошо *.18:06:08Wings West 5072Диспетчерская вышка wings west fifty seventy two готов к взлету.18:06:09КапитанАхх, вы выходите с пятисот футов плюс двенадцать, снижение семь.18:06:13Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаWings fifty seventy two?18:06:15Wings West 5072Affirmative.18:06:16[Звук щелчка]18:06:18Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаWings fifty seventy two, вы на сорок семь или на полной длине?18:06:19КапитанОгни (включены).18:06:20Wings West 5072Мы на полной длине.18:06:21Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаХорошо.18:06:26Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаОстановитесь на короткой дистанции.18:06:27Wings West 5072Roger, останавливаемся на короткой дистанции. 18:06:30Неизвестно* *.18:06:30Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаWings fifty seventy two, сообщите ваш позывной.18:06:33Wings West 5072Forty six fifty three.18:06:46Wings West 5212Диспетчерская вышка wings west fifty two twelve с вами на визуальном курсе для два четыре право.18:06:55Диспетчерская вышка Лос-АнджелесаSkyWest seven twenty five, вырулите на взлетную позицию и удерживайте взлетно-посадочную полосу два четыре лево. Самолет USAir коснулся земли возле порога взлетно-посадочной полосы. Как только нос начал опускаться, второй пилот заметил SkyWest 5569 на взлетно-посадочной полосе и применил максимальное торможение, но было слишком поздно. На бортовом самописце было записано следующее: # = Ненормативная лексика; * = Неразборчивое слово; = Сомнительный текст; [] = Комментарий; Затенение = РадиосвязьTimeSourceContent18:06:57Голос, неопознанный[неразборчивая фраза]18:06:58SkyWest Airlines 725Seven twenty five, занимайте позицию и удерживайте два четыре лево.18:06:59[Звук удара]Конец записи Самолет USAir врезался в Metroliner, раздавив его под фюзеляжем. Boeing 737 продолжил скользить по взлетно-посадочной полосе, затем съехал с левой стороны и остановился на противоположной стороне рулежной дорожки у закрытого здания пожарной станции, где в конечном итоге загорелся. Капитан этого чартерного рейса, только что приземлившийся, включил двигатели, чтобы уйти от огненного шара аварии. Команда "Canucks" была потрясена произошедшим и проиграла "Kings" со счетом 9–1, что стало их самым крупным поражением в сезоне 1990–91 годов. Капитан Шоу погиб, когда нос самолета ударился в заброшенную пожарную станцию, раздавив часть кабины, где находилось его кресло. Из оставшихся пассажиров и членов экипажа на борту USAir 1493 двое членов экипажа и 10 пассажиров получили серьезные травмы, 2 члена экипажа и 15 пассажиров получили легкие травмы, а 37 пассажиров не получили травм. Миллиардер Дэвид Х. Кох был среди выживших. Большинство погибших на борту USAir 1493 находились в передней части самолета, где пожар после столкновения возник в переднем грузовом отсеке, подпитываемый сочетанием топлива из обломков SkyWest 5569 и газообразного кислорода из поврежденной системы кислородного обеспечения экипажа Boeing 737. Все, кто сидел в 6-м ряду и ближе к носу, либо погибли, либо получили серьезные травмы, в то время как все, кто находился за 17-м рядом, спаслись, некоторые с легкими травмами. Только двум пассажирам и одному члену экипажа удалось выбраться через переднюю аварийную дверь (R1), в то время как основная аварийная дверь (L1) была неработоспособна из-за повреждений. Только два пассажира использовали левый выход над крылом, прежде чем огонь стал слишком сильным снаружи самолета. Большинство выживших вышли через правый выход над крылом, а остальные выжившие пассажиры выбрались через заднюю аварийную дверь (R2). Задняя пассажирская дверь (L2) была ненадолго открыта во время аварии, но быстро закрыта из-за распространяющегося огня с этой стороны самолета. Несколько факторов замедлили эвакуацию через правый выход над крылом, включая пассажира, сидевшего в ряду аварийного выхода, который не мог открыть дверь, короткую потасовку между двумя мужчинами у выхода и то, что спинка кресла у окна аварийного выхода была сложена вперед, частично перекрывая выход. Капитан был одним из немногих, кто умер от тупой травмы головы, удара, когда переборка обрушилась при столкновении самолета с пожарной станцией. Второй пилот был спасен через окна кабины пилотов одними из первых прибывших пожарных.
On the evening of February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737 300, collided with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As Flight 1493 was on final approach, the local controller was distracted, though air traffic was not heavy at LAX, by a series of abnormalities, including a misplaced flight progress strip and an aircraft that had inadvertently switched off the tower frequency. The SkyWest flight was told to taxi into takeoff position, while the USAir flight was landing on the same runway. Upon landing, the 737 collided with the smaller turboprop Metroliner, which was crushed beneath the larger USAir jet as it continued down the runway, caught fire, and veered into an airport fire station. Rescue workers arrived in minutes and began to evacuate the 737, but because of the intense fire, three of the 737's six exits were unusable, including both front exits; front passengers could only use one of the two overwing exits, causing a bottleneck. All 12 people aboard the smaller plane were killed, along with an eventual total of 23 of the 89 occupants of the 737, with most deaths on the 737 caused by asphyxiation in the fire. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the probable cause of the accident was the procedures in use at the LAX control tower, which provided inadequate redundancy, leading to a loss of situational awareness by the local controller, and inadequate oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for failing to supervise the control tower managers. On February 1, 1991, Flight 1493 was operated using a Boeing 737 300 (registration ); after a crew change in Washington, DC,
On February 1, 1991, SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569 was operated using a twin engined Fairchild Metroliner (registration ). The flight was scheduled to depart LAX on the final leg of a multicity schedule, and was bound for Palmdale, California, with 10 passengers and two pilots aboard. The clearance delivery controller in charge of taxiing aircraft was Francita Vandiver, who had previously served as an ATC in the US Navy. She had been working at LAX since 1988. After four attempts by the local controller, the Wings West aircraft finally responded to the tower and apologized for switching frequencies. Wascher then cleared the USAir flight to land on 24L, even though the SkyWest Metroliner was still holding in takeoff position on the runway:
Abridged communication between USAir 1493 and the controllers, and among the USAir flight crew# = Expletive; * = Unintelligible word; = Questionable text; [] = Commentary; Shading = Radio communicationTimeSourceContent18:05:44Los Angeles towerSkyWest seven twenty five tower.18:05:47SkyWest Airlines 725Ah seven twenty five go ahead18:05:48Los Angeles towerYes sir. You're holding short, is that correct?18:05:50SkyWest Airlines 725Yes ma'am, we're holding short.18:05:51Los Angeles towerThank you. USAir fourteen ninety three cleared to land runway two four left.18:05:55CaptainCleared to land two four left fourteen ninety three. With this activity ongoing, another Wings West aircraft, a Metroliner similar to SkyWest 5569, called the tower reporting they were ready for takeoff. Wascher queried this aircraft about their position, and they told her they were holding on a taxiway short of 24L. The flight progress strip for this flight had not yet been given to Wascher by controller Vandiver (another distraction), and Wascher mistakenly thought this Metroliner was SkyWest 5569, thus the runway was clear of aircraft. The first officer of the USAir flight recalled hearing this conversation, but did not remember anyone being cleared to hold on the runway. Meanwhile, Wascher was busy handling other flights:
# = Expletive; * = Unintelligible word; = Questionable text; [] = Commentary; Shading = Radio communicationTimeSourceContent18:06:04USAir 2858Clear to land.18:06:07First officer* looks real good *.18:06:08Wings West 5072Tower wings west fifty seventy two is ready for takeoff.18:06:09CaptainAhhh, you're coming outta five hundred feet bug plus twelve, sink is seven.18:06:13Los Angeles TowerWings fifty seventy two?18:06:15Wings West 5072Affirmative.18:06:16[Sound of click]18:06:18Los Angeles TowerWings fifty seventy two, are you at forty seven or full length?18:06:19CaptainLights (on).18:06:20Wings West 5072We're at full length.18:06:21Los Angeles TowerOkay.18:06:26Los Angeles TowerHold short.18:06:27Wings West 5072Roger, holding short. 18:06:30Unknown* *.18:06:30Los Angeles TowerWings fifty seventy two say your squawk.18:06:33Wings West 5072Forty six fifty three.18:06:46Wings West 5212Los Angeles tower wings west fifty two twelve with you on a visual for two four right.18:06:55Los Angeles TowerSkyWest seven twenty five taxi into position and hold runway two four left. The USAir plane touched down near the runway threshold. Just as the nose was being lowered, the first officer noticed SkyWest 5569 on the runway and applied maximum braking, but it was too late. The following was recorded on the CVR:
# = Expletive; * = Unintelligible word; = Questionable text; [] = Commentary; Shading = Radio communicationTimeSourceContent18:06:57Voice unidentified[unintelligible remark]18:06:58SkyWest Airlines 725Seven twenty five position and hold two four left.18:06:59[Sound of impact]End of recording
The USAir plane slammed into the Metroliner, crushing it beneath its fuselage. The 737 proceeded to skid down the runway, then veered off the left side and came to rest on the far side of the taxiway against a closed fire station building, where it eventually caught fire. The captain of that charter aircraft, having just landed, powered up the engines to get away from the fireball of the accident. The Canucks were shaken by the experience and lost to the Kings by a score of 9–1, their worst loss of the 1990–91 season. Captain Shaw was killed when the nose of the aircraft struck the abandoned fire station, crushing the section of the cockpit where his seat was located. Of the remaining passengers and crew aboard USAir 1493, two crew members and 10 passengers sustained serious injuries, 2 crew members and 15 passengers sustained minor injuries, and 37 passengers received no injuries. Billionaire businessman David H. Koch was among the survivors. The majority of fatalities aboard USAir 1493 occurred to those seated in the front of the plane, where the postcrash fire originated in the forward cargo hold, fed by a combination of fuel from the wreckage of SkyWest 5569 and gaseous oxygen from the 737's damaged crew oxygen system. Everyone seated in row 6 or forward was either killed or sustained major injuries, while everyone aft of row 17 escaped, some with minor injuries. Only two passengers and one crew member managed to escape from the forward service (R1) door, while the main cabin (L1) door was inoperable due to damage. Only two passengers used the left over wing exit before the fire became too intense outside the aircraft. The majority of the survivors exited via the right over wing exit, with the rest of the surviving cabin occupants escaping through the rear service (R2) door. The rear passenger (L2) door was briefly opened during the course of the accident, but was quickly closed due to the spreading fire on that side of the aircraft. Multiple issues slowed the evacuation from the right over wing door, including a passenger seated in the exit row who could not open the door, a brief scuffle between two men at the exit, and the seatback of the exit window seat being folded forward, partially obstructing the exit. The captain was one of the few people who died of blunt force trauma, a blow to the head when the bulkhead collapsed as the aircraft collided with the firehouse. The first officer was rescued through the cockpit windows by some of the first firefighters to arrive on the accident scene. Shaw was found to have traces of phenobarbital in his blood. The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits use of the sedative before flying. The drug was prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome by Shaw's physicians, who said they had warned him not to use the medication while flying. Local controller Wascher, who cleared both aircraft to use the same runway, testified before the NTSB and accepted blame for causing the crash. She said she originally thought the landing USAir plane had been hit by a bomb, then "realized something went wrong I went to the supervisor and I said, 'I think this (the SkyWest plane) is what USAir hit.'" She testified that rooftop lights in her line of sight caused glare in the tower, making seeing small planes difficult at the intersection where the SkyWest plane was positioned. Just before the accident, she confused the SkyWest plane with another commuter airliner that was on a taxiway near the end of the runway. Making matters more difficult, the ground radar at LAX was not working on the day of the accident. The NTSB's investigation of the crash revealed that the cockpit crew of the landing USAir jet could not see the commuter plane, which blended in with other airport lights. The NTSB cited LAX's procedures which placed much of the responsibility for runways on the local controllers, which directly led to the loss of situational awareness by the local controller. The NTSB also noted that during the previous performance review, a supervisor had noted four deficiencies in the local controller who ultimately worked the accident aircraft. These deficiencies were not addressed prior to the accident, and two of the deficiencies were apparent in the accident sequence—her loss of situational awareness and aircraft misidentification.
Последствия
LAX теперь отдает приоритет использованию внешних взлетно-посадочных полос (24R и 25L) для посадки и внутренних взлетно-посадочных полос (24L и 25R) для взлета, хотя в определенных ситуациях возможны смешанные схемы движения. Кроме того, в аэропорту LAX была построена новая диспетчерская вышка, расположенная более центрально, значительно выше и с лучшей обзорной позицией, обеспечивающей видимость всех взлетно-посадочных полос и критических рулежных дорожек аэропорта. До этой аварии FAA издало предписание, обязывающее авиакомпании повысить стандарты огнестойкости материалов, используемых на борту, однако самолет USAir был построен до вступления этих требований в силу и еще не был модернизирован. Модернизация была запланирована на следующий год. К 2009 году все воздушные суда, эксплуатируемые в Соединенных Штатах, соответствовали этим стандартам. Диспетчер воздушного движения Вашер, непосредственно ответственная за катастрофу, была признана допустившей ошибку в сложных условиях, которую мог допустить любой диспетчер, и не была привлечена к уголовной ответственности или уволена. Она отказалась от предложения вернуться к работе диспетчером и заняла должность в аппарате FAA в западном региональном офисе.
Драматизация
История катастрофы была показана в эпизоде 9-го сезона сериала "Mayday" на каналах Discovery Channel Canada / National Geographic. Эпизод под названием "Готовность к катастрофе" исследует события, связанные с крушением и его расследованием, включая интервью с следователями NTSB, спасателями, выжившими и очевидцами. Он также представлен в 1-м сезоне, 3-й серии телешоу "Почему падают самолеты" под названием "Человеческий фактор". Канал TLC также показал репортаж о катастрофе в специальном выпуске 1990-х годов под названием "Ужас в небе". В репортаже было интервью с миллиардером Дэвидом Кохом, пережившим аварию, а также кадры с места происшествия после столкновения.