Date: | Wednesday 1 March 1978 |
Time: | 09:25 |
Type: | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 |
Owner/operator: | Continental Air Lines |
Registration: | N68045 |
MSN: | 46904/44 |
Year of manufacture: | 1972 |
Engine model: | General Electric CF6-6D |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 200 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX) -
United States of America
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Phase: | Take off |
Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
Departure airport: | Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX) |
Destination airport: | Honolulu International Airport, HI (HNL/PHNL) |
Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:Continental Flight 603 (Los Angeles - Honolulu) received clearance to taxi to runway 06R at 09:01. At 09:22 the flight was cleared to taxi into position and hold. Takeoff clearance was given a minute later, but the crew delayed the acknowledgment, because the captain thought the clearance was given too soon after a heavy jet aircraft had made its takeoff. Acceleration was normal, but while approaching the V1 speed (156 knots) a loud "metallic bang" was heard, followed by a quivering. As rejected takeoff procedures were begun, the airspeed continued to increase to 159 knots. The aircraft appeared to be decelerating normally, but with 2000 feet of runway remaining, the flight crew became aware that the rate of deceleration had decreased and they believed that the aircraft would not be able to stop on the runway. The aircraft was steered to the right and departed the right corner of the runway end. About 100 feet beyond the runway, the left main gear broke through the nonload-bearing tarmac surface and failed. A fire erupted in this area as the aircraft turned to the left, coming to rest 664 feet from the runway end and 40 feet right of the extended centreline in a 11deg left wing low and 1,3deg nose-up attitude.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The sequential failure of two tyres on the left main landing gear and the resultant failure of another tire on the same landing gear at a critical time during the take-off roll. These failures resulted in the captain's decision to reject the take-off."
Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Report number: | DCA78AA008 |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 11 months |
Download report: | Final report |
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Sources:
Flight International 12 August 1978 (458)
Flight International 16 December 1978 (2158)
Flight International 21 October 1978 (1459)
NTSB-AAR-79-1
Location
Images:
photo (c) Dave Melton; Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX); 1978
photo (c) Dave Melton; Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX); 1978
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |