Flying into LAX, the aircraft had 89 people on board (83 passengers, four flight attendants, and the two pilots). On February 1, 1991, SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569 was operated using a twin-engined Fairchild Metroliner (registration ). The flight was scheduled to depart LAX on the final leg of a multicity schedule, and was bound for Palmdale, California, with 10 passengers and two pilots aboard. The aircraft did not carry a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) or a flight data recorder (FDR), as it was not required to do so at the time. Both of Flight 5569's pilots had significant experience; Captain Andrew Lucas (32), had roughly 8,800 flight hours (with 2,101 of them on the Metroliner), and First Officer Frank Prentice (45), had over 8,000 flight hours, including 1,363 hours on the Metroliner. Airport LAX has four parallel runways, with the two runways and associated taxiways north of the terminal called the North Complex. Aircraft that landed on the outer runway – 24R – would cross the inner runway – 24L – in order to reach the terminal. Air traffic control The air traffic controller (ATC) in charge of takeoffs and landings in the LAX tower (the local controller) was Robin Lee Wascher. She had been working in the role since 1982, and began working at LAX in 1989. The clearance delivery controller in charge of taxiing aircraft was Francita Vandiver, who had previously served as an ATC in the US Navy. She had been working at LAX since 1988. Accident details Flight Skywest 5569 was cleared by ATC Wascher in the LAX tower to taxi to Runway 24L, moving from gate 32 to the runway via taxiways Kilo, 48, Tango, and 45. The plane was briefly not visible from the tower on taxiway 48 between Kilo and Tango in the area known as "no man's land". Immediately prior to SkyWest 5569 reaching runway 24L, a Wings West aircraft had landed on 24R and was awaiting permission to cross 24L and taxi to the terminal. The local controller attempted to contact the Wings West aircraft, but the crew had changed frequencies and did not answer, distracting Wascher as she attempted to reestablish communications. Shortly after 6 PM local time, as USAir 1493 was on final approach to LAX, the Metroliner was cleared by the local controller to taxi into its takeoff position on 24L at the intersection of taxiway 45, some