From the Archives: Aeromexico Flight 498 crashes in Cerritos
On Aug. 31, 1986, Aeromexico Flight 498, a Douglas DC-9, flying from Mexico City to Los Angeles International Airport, collided with a Piper PA-28 Archer over Cerritos. Eighty-two people died — 67 aboard the two aircraft and 15 on the ground.
Los Angeles Times staff writer Ted Thackrey Jr. reported immediately after the disaster. Here’s an excerpt from his article, which appeared in the Sept. 1, 1986, Times:
“The crash occurred at 11:55 a.m., and authorities identified the downed airliner as Aeromexico Flight 498, which was about to land at Los Angeles International Airport after a flight from Mexico City with stops in Guadalajara, Loreto and Tijuana.
“Its main passenger cabin crashed upside down and exploded in a residential neighborhood near the corner of Carmenita Road and 183rd Street in Cerritos, damaging houses on Holmes Avenue, Reva Circle and Ashworth Place.
“The cause of the disaster was not immediately determined, but eyewitnesses said they saw the smaller airplane crash into the tail section of the jetliner.
“Airline spokesman Guy Arriola said 58 passengers and six crew members were aboard the DC-9 when it went down about 20 miles east of the airport. Three people were reported to have been on board the smaller airplane, which crashed in an empty school yard about two blocks from the wreckage of the airliner.”
This post originally was published on Aug. 30, 2011.
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