EARTHQUAKE / THE LONG ROAD BACK : City Opens Inquiry Into ‘Big A’ Scoreboard Collapse : Anaheim: ‘Obviously, a structural flaw’ contributed to fall of Jumbotron, city manager says. The $3-million to $4-million repair bill is only major damage in 30 miles.

City officials said Tuesday they are investigating the cause of the collapse of the Anaheim Stadium scoreboard during the Northridge earthquake.

“Obviously, there was a structural flaw” that led to the collapse of the Sony Jumbotron, said City Manager James D. Ruth, who pointed out this was the only major quake damage reported within 30 miles of the stadium.

The 17-ton board, which was installed in 1988, tumbled from its rooftop moorings into the stadium’s upper deck, crushing and damaging about 1,000 seats in the upper-deck left field stands.

“We need to find out what happened,” he said.

To begin with, Ruth said, the city will examine its contract with Skidmore, Owens and Merrill Inc., which in 1979 built the part of the stadium where the signboard was later installed, to see if the firm is liable for the $3 million to $4 million in damage. Ruth said Skidmore was involved in the installation of the Jumbotron, which replaced a smaller scoreboard.

“They are a good contractor, but there might have been a design problem,” Ruth said, adding that “the rest of the stadium is in good shape. The damage from the sign is all there is.”

Navin Amin, Skidmore’s chief structural engineer, said he is unsure if his firm was consulted before the new scoreboard was installed or played a part in that work. His firm’s addition enclosed the stadium, adding seats to lure the Los Angeles Rams football team to Anaheim.

“We are looking into everything right now,” Amin said. “We have sent an engineer to the stadium. We need to find out what has happened. There is a question of whether the new scoreboard was heavier than the original.”

Ruth said he did not know the details of the board’s support structure and the city’s inspections of it. Gary E. Johnson, the city’s public works director, and Greg Smith, the stadium’s general manager, declined comment Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the board remained where it crashed down. Plans were being made for its removal and replacement.

The huge video signboard showed replays of game action, scores of games in other cities and advertisements.

Had the collapse happened during an event, it could have caused hundreds of deaths. Several dozen seats were flattened in the upper deck and debris was strewn on the seats below. Only two security guards were in the stadium at the time and neither was injured.

Contract requirements with advertisers who use the scoreboard require the city to replace it. The board is the major component of the stadium’s billboard network, which generates $2 million annually. That is split among the city, the baseball Angels, the Rams, an advertising agency and Sony, which paid for the installation.

“We can’t just not replace it,” Ruth said.

The city also announced Tuesday that it had asked that the state declare Anaheim a disaster area because of the stadium damage, which would allow the city to apply for state and federal reimbursements for much of the cost of replacing the board.

Alex Newton, a spokesman for the joint state and federal office that is handling earthquake relief requests, doubted whether Anaheim’s request would succeed. Gov. Pete Wilson would have to declare all of Orange County a disaster area for the city to stand a good chance at federal or state assistance, he said.

“How much other damage was there in Orange County? Not much,” Newton said. “The state just doesn’t give out disaster declarations if only one facility is damaged.”

If the city does not receive reimbursement from Skidmore or another governmental agency, Ruth said the city might face a financial crisis. The $125-million stadium’s earthquake insurance has a standard 5% deductible, meaning it doesn’t kick in until $6.25 million has been spent.

“It will certainly compound our budget problems,” Ruth said. The city is already forecasting an $8-million budget deficit during the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. This year’s budget is $135 million.

Also Tuesday, the organizer of off-road motor races scheduled for Saturday at the stadium postponed the event until Feb. 12 because of the scoreboard collapse.

Mickey Thompson Entertainment’s Super Cross motorcycle races remain scheduled for Jan. 29.