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LAX90LA116

1990-03-13 · PHOENIX, Arizona, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PHX

N271AF has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 182T, built 2003), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE UNAUTHORIZED INTRUSION ONTO THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT BY A PEDESTRIAN.

Factual narrative

A BOEING 727-227 STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN ON RUNWAY 26L. THE CAPTAIN INDICATED THAT THE PEDESTRIAN WAS ON THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND RUN. THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 105 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED WHEN THE PEDESTRIAN WAS IDENTIFIED. THE CAPTAIN IMMEDIATELY VEERED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID THE COLLISION AND ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT CREW FELT AN IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TAXIED TO THE RAMP. POST FLIGHT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE PEDESTRIAN WAS STRUCK BY THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, THE PEDESTRIAN, A 40 YEAR OLD MALE, WAS A MENTAL PATIENT AT A NEARBY HOSPITAL. THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY ALSO INDICATED THAT THE PEDESTRIAN WAS NOT AUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THE RUNWAY. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE BREACH OF AIRPORT SECURITY DID NOT REVEAL HOW THE PEDESTRIAN GAINED ACCESS TO THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90LA116.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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