Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933
LN-MOO, the DC-8 involved, seen in July 1967 at Stockholm Arlanda Airport | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 13, 1969 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into water caused by pilot error |
| Site | Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles, California, United States 33°55′14″N 118°31′58″W / 33.92056°N 118.53278°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-8-62 |
| Aircraft name | Sverre Viking |
| Operator | Scandinavian Airlines System |
| IATA flight No. | SK933 |
| ICAO flight No. | SAS933 |
| Call sign | SCANDINAVIAN 933 |
| Registration | LN-MOO |
| Flight origin | Copenhagen Airport |
| Stopover | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport |
| Destination | Los Angeles International Airport |
| Occupants | 45 |
| Passengers | 36 |
| Crew | 9 |
| Fatalities | 15 |
| Injuries | 17 |
| Survivors | 30 |
Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933 was a scheduled international flight from Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport (Denmark) to Los Angeles International Airport via Seattle—Tacoma International Airport. On January 13 1969, the McDonnell Douglas DC-8 crashed into Santa Monica Bay at 19:21, approximately six nautical miles (11 km) west of Los Angeles International Airport. The crash into the sea was caused by pilot error during approach to runway 07R; the pilots were so occupied with the nose gear light not turning green that they lost awareness of the situation and failed to keep track of their altitude. The Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) aircraft had a crew of nine and 36 passengers, of whom 15 died in the accident.
The crash was similar to Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. The crash site was in international waters, but the National Transportation Safety Board carried out an investigation, which was published on July 1, 1970. The report stated the probable cause as improper crew resource management and stated that the aircraft was fully capable of carrying out the approach and landing. The aircraft was conducting an instrument approach, but was following an unauthorized back course approach.