1959 — Feb 3, American Air Flight 320 approach crash into East River, NYC, NY — 65
–65 Aviation Safety Network, Accident Description, American Flight 320, Feb 3, 1959
–65 Civil Aeronautics Board. AAR, American Airlines In the East River, Feb 3, 1959
–65 Kimura. World Commercial Aircraft Accidents 3rd Ed., 1946-1993, V.1. 4-11-1994, p. 3-6.
–64 Airdisaster.com. Accident Database. “Accident Synopsis 02031959.”
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Narrative Information
Civil Aeronautics Board: “At approximately 2356 e. s. t., on February 3, 1959, an American Airlines Lockheed Electra aircraft crashed into the East River while attempting an instrument approach to runway 22 at La Guardia Airport.
There were 73 persons on board, including one infant. The captain and one stewardess were killed; the first officer, flight engineer, and the remaining stewardess survived. Of the 68 passengers, 5 survived. To date 63 bodies have been recovered including the bodies of the captain and one stewardess; two others are still missing.” (CAB AAR American in East River)
From Chicago-O’Hare with a crew of 5 and 73 passengers, American Flight approached New York-La Guardia on autopilot. “The Lockheed Electra aircraft descended until it struck the water some 5000 feet short of the runway and 600 feet to the right of the extended centerline. Ground speed on impact was 150mph and undercarriage and flaps were extended. The wreckage sank in 10m deep East River. Weather at the time of the accident was marginal with a 300-400 feet ceiling, 2 miles visibility in light rain and fog with a 6 knots SSW wind.” (Aviation Safety Network, American Flight 320, Feb 3, 1959)
“Both [surviving] flight crew members stated that visual contact was never established through the forward windshield. The windshield wipers were off, the landing light retracted and off, flaps in approach position, and the autopilot was still engaged. No warning lights were observed, the aircraft and engines operated normally, and there was no indication of a stall, pitch, yaw, or abrupt maneuver.” (CAB AAR, American Airlines In the East River, Feb 3, 1959)
“Probable cause: “The Board determines the probable cause of this accident was premature descent below landing minimums which was the result of preoccupation of the crew on particular aspects of the aircraft and its environment to the neglect of essential flight instrument references for attitude and height above the approach surface. Contributing factors were:
1. Limited experience of the crew with the aircraft type;
2. Faulty approach technique in which the autopilot was used in the heading mode to or almost to the surface;
3. Erroneous setting of the captain’s altimeter;
4. Marginal weather in the approach area;
5. Possible misinterpretation of altimeter and rate of descent indicator; and
6. Sensory illusion with respect to height and attitude resulting from visual reference to the few lights existing in the approach area.” (CAB. AAR, American Airlines In East River, Feb 3, 1959)
“Follow-up / safety actions: Two recommendations were made regarding flight simulator training for crews on aircraft with novel systems or operating characteristics and the installation of flight data recorders on turboprop airliners.” (ASN, American Flight 320, Feb 3, 1959; citing CAB AAR)
Sources
AirDisaster.Com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 02031959. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=02031959®=N6101A&airline=American+Airlines
Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. American Airlines Flight 320, 03 Feb 1959. Accessed 2/2/2009 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19590203-1
Civil Aeronautics Board. Aircraft Accident Report. American Airlines, Inc., Lockheed Electra N 6101A, In the East River, La Guardia Airport, New York, February 3, 1959. Wash., DC: CAB, Jan 10, 1960. At: http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_aircraftacc
Kimura, Chris Y. World Commercial Aircraft Accidents 3rd Edition, 1946-1993, Volume 1: Jet and Turboprop Aircrafts. Livermore, CA: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Risk Assessment and Nuclear Engineering Group. 4-11-1994.