Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 31 October 1979
Aircraft Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
Owner/operator: Western Air Lines
Registration Number: N903WA
Location: Mexico City-Juarez International Airport (MEX) – ÿ Mexico
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 72 / Occupants: 88
Component Affected: Aircraft Right Main GearAircraft Right Main Gear
Category: Accident
A flight involving a Runway 23R approach to Mexico City was disrupted due to runway refurbishment. The aircraft descended through a fog bank below 600 feet, resulting in a collision with a truck on the runway. The aircraft’s right main gear collided with the truck, causing significant damage, including a wing strike and a crash into a building. The incident was likely caused by non-compliance with meteorological minima and operational procedures during the approach.A flight involving a Runway 23R approach to Mexico City was disrupted due to runway refurbishment. The aircraft descended through a fog bank below 600 feet, resulting in a collision with a truck on the runway. The aircraft’s right main gear collided with the truck, causing significant damage, including a wing strike and a crash into a building. The incident was likely caused by non-compliance with meteorological minima and operational procedures during the approach.

Description

Flight 2605 departed Los Angeles at 01:40 for a flight to Mexico City. Because of refurbishing work on runway 23L, the flight was cleared for a runway 23R approach. Descend through a fog bank was continued below the 600 feet minimum for instrument approaches. The aircraft touched down with the left main gear in the grass left of 23L and with the right main gear on the runway shoulder. Go-around power was added and the nose lifted 10-11deg. The right main gear then collided with a truck located on the runway. The gear leg separated and struck the right tailplane and elevator, causing substantial damage. The aircraft banked to the right until it struck the left wing struck the cab of an excavator, 1500 m from the runway threshold, continued and crashed into a building and caught fire. PROBABLE CAUSE: “Non-compliance with the meteorological minima for the approach procedure, as cleared; failure to comply with the aircraft’s operating procedures during the approach phase, and landing on a runway closed to traffic.”

Primary Cause

Non-compliance with meteorological minima for the approach procedure, failure to comply with aircraft operating procedures during the approach phase, and landing on a runway closed to traffic.Non-compliance with meteorological minima for the approach procedure, failure to comply with aircraft operating procedures during the approach phase, and landing on a runway closed to traffic.

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