Accident Overview
Flight SK933, operating from Seattle, Washington, to Los Angeles, California, following a flight from Copenhagen, Denmark, crashed into Santa Monica Bay approximately 6 nautical miles west of the airport at 1921 local time. A scheduled crew change had occurred at Seattle. The accident took place while the crew was attempting an instrument approach to runway 07R at Los Angeles International Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact, with the fuselage breaking into three pieces. Two sections sank in approximately 350 feet of water, while the third—including the wings, forward cabin, and cockpit—floated for about 20 hours before being towed into shallow water where it sank. This section was later recovered and removed.
Injuries and Damage
Of the 45 persons aboard the aircraft, three passengers and one cabin attendant drowned; nine passengers and two cabin attendants are missing and presumed dead; 11 passengers and six crew members—including the captain, the second pilot, and the systems operator—were injured in varying degrees; and 13 passengers escaped without reported injury. The aircraft was destroyed.
Weather Conditions
Weather at Los Angeles International Airport was reported as: 1,700 feet broken, 3,500 feet overcast; visibility 4 miles in light rain and fog; wind 060° at 10 knots; altimeter setting 29.87 inches of mercury. Weather in the accident area was reported to be similar.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was stated as: the lack of crew coordination and the inadequate monitoring of the aircraft position in space during a critical phase of an instrument approach which resulted in an unplanned descent into the water. Contributing to this unplanned descent was an apparent unsafe landing gear condition induced by the design of the landing gear indicator lights, and the omission of the minimum crossing altitude at an approach fix depicted on the approach chart.