the crash. White stated that Kramer had never com-
municated with the LAX tower.
After investigating on site, analyzing the air-
planes’ parts in a Long Beach Municipal Airport
hangar, and examining flight recorders in Washing-
ton, D.C., the NTSB issued a report on July 7, 1987,
finding Kramer responsible for the crash by flying
into restricted TCA airspace without permission and
at altitudes flown by commercial jets. The NTSB
report also stated that White had not monitored
air traffic effectively, relying instead on pilots to
maintain the distance between aircraft while he per-
formed multiple controller tasks simultaneously. The
report depicted the air traffic controller system as
faulty, noting several hundred reports of airspace vi-
olations prior to and after the Cerritos accident. FAA
officials responded that the NTSB should not blame
controllers for piloting mistakes. Approximately sev-
enty survivors and relatives sued Aeroméxico, the
FAA, and Kramer’s family. In April, 1989, a federal
jury exonerated Aeroméxico and decided the FAA
and Kramer’s estate were liable, awarding $56.5 mil-
lion to the plaintiffs.Impact The Cerritos crash intensified discussions
of the commercial and recreational air traffic risks
resulting from crowded airspace being monitored
by limited air traffic control resources. Officials from
the national to the county levels explored ways to
prevent crashes. The eleven members of the Los An-
geles City Council decided unanimously to encour-
age pilots flying private aircraft near Los Angeles vol-
untarily to communicate via radio with controllers
and to keep their transponders in working order.
Members of Congress urged that warning equip-
ment to detect aircraft electronically should be in-
stalled on commercial and private airplanes and
suggested securing updated air traffic control tech-
nology.
The FAA issued stronger penalties for private pi-
lots entering the TCA without approval, including
license suspension, and stated that small aircraft fly-The Eighties in America Cerritos plane crash 193
This Cerritos, California, neighborhood was devastated by the collision of Aeroméxico Flight 498 and William Kramer’s private plane.
(AP/Wide World Photos)