Investigation Summary
The investigation into Flight 603 revealed a critical vulnerability in wide-body aircraft takeoff performance calculations. At the time, V1 (decision speed) was calculated based on dry runway conditions and the assumption that all tires remained intact. On March 1, the DC-10 was operating at a gross weight of 430,000 lbs, near its maximum, on Runway 6R. This runway was shorter than LAX's primary runways due to weight restrictions on airport overpasses. When the tires failed, the 97,920 lb load on the affected axle was shifted entirely to the remaining tires, causing sequential failures. The aircraft lost approximately 25 percent of its braking capability. This, combined with the reduced friction of the wet runway, made the calculated V1 speed invalid for the actual conditions. The NTSB also highlighted significant failures in the evacuation process: the intense heat from the fuel fire caused the inflation cylinders or the slide fabric on the right side to fail, forcing elderly passengers to jump from the aircraft or use a single escape rope from the cockpit window. The captain, Charles Hershe, was notably flying his final trip before retirement.
Final Conclusions
The NTSB determined the probable cause was the sequential failure of two tires on the left main landing gear and the resultant failure of a third tire, which led to a rejected takeoff at a critical speed. Contributing to the accident were the partial loss of braking power and the reduced friction of the wet runway. The investigation led to sweeping changes in how the FAA regulates aircraft tires, including stricter load-rating standards and a prohibition on mixing different tire models on the same axle. Furthermore, the accident served as the primary catalyst for modernizing emergency evacuation slide standards, including requirements for radiant heat resistance and faster inflation times.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Blown Off | Continental Airlines Flight 603 — A detailed look at the March 1, 1978, aborted takeoff of a Continental DC-10 at LAX, exploring how tire failures and wet runway conditions led to a fatal overrun.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Age 59; final flight before retirement.
First Officer
Age 40.
Second Officer
Age 39; Flight Engineer.
Systems & Failure Modes
Emergency Evacuation Slides
Inflatable slides designed for rapid egress; all right-side slides failed when exposed to radiant heat from the fuel fire.
Main Landing Gear
The DC-10-10 features two main gear bogies with four tires each; the failure of three tires on the left bogie caused the gear to collapse upon exiting the runway.
Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
A recording device intended to capture flight deck audio; the unit on N68045 was non-functional during the accident sequence.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was at a gross weight of 430,000 lbs, only 300 pounds under its maximum takeoff weight.
- 02The captain was flying his final scheduled flight before mandatory retirement.
- 03The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was found to be inoperative due to a broken tape, a fault noted but not repaired before the flight.
- 04The 200 souls on board consisted of 186 passengers (184 adults and 2 infants) and 14 crew members.
- 05Two passengers died during the evacuation from fire and smoke inhalation; two others died approximately three months later due to their injuries.
- 06Ten firefighters were injured while responding to the crash.
Safety Actions & Advisories
TSO-C69 Revision
The FAA mandated new standards for evacuation slides, including radiant heat testing, increased evacuation rates (70 people per minute), and faster inflation times (6 seconds).
Tire Load Standards
New regulations prohibited mounting tires with different load-bearing characteristics on the same axle and updated tire rating criteria.
Brake Wear Limits
The accident led to Airworthiness Directives (ADs) requiring stricter monitoring of brake wear and limiting the use of fully worn brake configurations.