"Sam Spade" wrote in message
news:ba41g.72150$bm6.10786@fed1read04...
jbskies wrote:

In the 1960s and even into the mid-1970s those of us who were airline
pilots based at LAX could fly light singles into LAX and park on our
airline's maintenance ramp (not the passenger terminal ramp).

(Why) did it stop?


Well, this may not be the direct reason but it may indirect reason...

On August 31, 1986, a Piper Archer mid-air collided with Aeromexico
Flight 498 DC-9 in approch to LAX. 64 in DC-9, 3 in Piper and 15 on
the ground died. That event caused FAA established Class-B airspace.
This greatly reduced the small GA airplanes accessing the major
airports such as LAX.

You can read the full story at AOPA:
http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticles/2001/sp0101.html


That is not correct. The Class B (TCA prior to airspace reclassification
to ICAO nomenclature) was established prior to the midair to which you
refer. In fact, the Piper was clipping a corner of the Class B when the
midair occurred.

An excerpt from the NTSB's probable cause:

AN INV REVEALED N4891F HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE LAX TERMINAL CONTROL
AREA (TCA) & WASN'T IN RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC.


"At 11:52:09, Flight 498 and the Piper Archer collided over Cerritos at
about 6,650 feet. The Archer had inadvertently penetrated the 6,000-foot
floor of the TCA without a clearance."