Event LAX93LA337

Factual narrative

On August 28, 1993, at 0459 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 208B, N781FE, collided with a ground vehicle at the Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California. The airplane was completing an instrument flight rules (IFR) positioning flight to Los Angeles, under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by Westair Industries Inc. as a cargo sub-contractor for Federal Express Corp., was substantially damaged. The certificated airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, and the driver of the vehicle were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, at 0340 hours. The pilot reported that after landing on runway 6R at Los Angeles she was cleared by ground control personnel to taxi to the cargo terminal. While taxiing south on taxiway 49 between taxiway K and taxiway J, the airplane collided with a catering truck that was eastbound on the service road that is located between taxiway K and J. The right wing of the airplane struck the left side of the truck and the airplane then pivoted 90 degrees to the right. The right wing and right side of the airplane were damaged. The catering truck received minor damage. The Los Angeles Department of Airports reported that the airplane's navigational lights were operating. Witnesses reported observing the airplane taxiing southbound on taxiway 49 and being struck by the catering truck. The closest official weather observation station is located on the airport. At 0359 hours, a surface observation was reporting in part: Sky condition and ceiling, partial obscuration, 1,100 feet scattered; visibility, 5 miles in fog; temperature, 65 degrees F; dew point, 640 degrees F; wind, 360 degrees at 4 knots; altimeter, 29.92 inHg. Los Angeles International Airport is equipped with 4 parallel hard surfaced runways on a 240 to 060 degree magnetic orientation. Numerous service roads allow vehicle access to most areas of the airport operations area. Drivers are required to have a driving permit and the catering truck driver had the proper permit. Radio communications between vehicles and the airport control tower is not required for vehicles utilizing the service roadways. Vehicles must yield to aircraft operating on the runways and taxiways. AFTER LANDING FROM A POSITIONING FLIGHT BEFORE BEGINNING CARGO OPERATIONS, THE PILOT WAS TAXIING SOUTH ON A TAXIWAY AND HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CROSS INTERSECTING TAXIWAYS. WHILE CROSSING A SERVICE ROAD THAT PARALLELED THE EAST/WEST INTERSECTING TAXIWAYS, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A CATERING TRUCK THAT WAS EASTBOUND ON THE SERVICE ROAD. THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TRUCK AND THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE WERE DAMAGED. VEHICLES ARE REQUIRED TO YIELD TO AIRCRAFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12