Serious incident Boeing 747-219B ZK-NZX, Sunday 7 May 1989

You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.

Date:	Sunday 7 May 1989
Time:	18:38 LT
Type:	Boeing 747-219B
Owner/operator:	Air New Zealand
Registration:	ZK-NZX
MSN:	22724/528
Year of manufacture:	1981
Engine model:	Rolls-Royce RB211-524D4
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 386
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	None
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	Los Angeles, CA - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Papeete, TAHITI
Destination airport:	Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AIR NEW ZEALAND FLT 6 (BOEING B-747, ZK-NZX) WAS INBOUND TO LOS ANEGLES. IT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 7000 FT ABOUT 26 MI SOUTH OF THE SEAL BEACH VOR. COAST TRACON WAS TRACKING THE 747 & ANOTHER MODE C TARGET, BUT WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE 2ND (UNKNOWN) ACFT. ATC ISSUED TRAFFIC ADVISORIES TO THE 747 AS THE 2ND ACFT CLOSED ON A HEAD-ON COURSE. THE 747 CREW MADE AN ABRUPT DESCENDING LEFT TURN TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH WAS CONVERVING AT THE SAME ALTITUDE & PASSED WITH APRX 100 METERS HORIZONTAL DISTANCE. THE OTHER ACFT WAS RPRTD TO BE A SMALL TWIN ENG AIRPLANE. TWO FLT ATTENDANTS & ONE PSGR RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AREA & ALTITUDE WERE IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE.

Probable Cause: INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOK-OUT BY THE PILOT OF THE OTHER (SMALL TWIN ENGINE) AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE INCIDENT WAS: A DELAY OF THE 747 CREW TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE OTHER AIRCRAFT.

Accident investigation: