What happened
On March 1, 1978, Continental Air Lines Flight 603, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 registered as N68045, was preparing for a scheduled service from Los Angeles to Honolulu. During the taxi phase at Los Angeles International Airport, the flightcrew received takeoff clearance for runway 6R. As the aircraft accelerated down the wet runway, the captain reported hearing a loud metallic impact followed by vibrations throughout the airframe. The crew observed the left wing dipping and immediately initiated a rejected takeoff procedure.
Despite applying full braking and maximum reverse thrust, the aircraft's speed continued to rise slightly before deceleration began. As the plane moved toward the edge of the runway, the pilot attempted to steer the aircraft away from runway light stanchions. The aircraft exited the right side of the departure end of the runway. Approximately 100 feet past the pavement, the left main landing gear collapsed through the tarmac surface. This failure triggered an intense fire as the wing fuel tanks ruptured. The aircraft slid into approach light structures and came to a rest with its left wing low. The emergency evacuation resulted in 2 fatalities and several injuries.
Findings
Investigation into the accident identified that the primary cause was the sequential failure of multiple tires on the left main landing gear during the takeoff roll. This mechanical failure prompted the pilot to abort the takeoff. The situation was further complicated by a reduction in braking effectiveness due to the damaged tire and the presence of moisture on the runway surface, which extended the stopping distance beyond the available runway length.