CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT
AMERICAN AIRLINES, INC., LOCKHEED ELECTRA, N 6101A, IN THE EAST RIVER, LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 3, 1969
Synopsis
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.
The Board believes that a premature descent below landing minimums 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 found to be: limited experience of the crew with the aircraft type, faulty approach technique in which the autopilot was used in the heading mode to or almost to the surface, erroneous setting of the captain's altimeter, marginal weather in the approach area, possible misinterpretation of altimeter and rate of descent indicator, and sensory illusion with respect to height and attitude resulting from visual reference to the few lights existing in the approach area.
As a result of this accident, the Federal Aviation Agency, on February 8, 1959, as a precautionary measure, raised Electra landing minimums. Upon the installation of the conventional three-pointer altimeter, the restrictions were lifted.
The Board has recommended to the Federal Aviation Agency that autopilot approach criteria and limitations applicable to all air carriers should be established, taking into account the particular autopilot used, the aircraft involved, and the approach facilities utilized. The Board has also recommended to the FAA that all air carriers should establish simulator training programs prior to putting into service aircraft which require the acquisition and application of significantly different operational techniques; and that all large turbine-engine aircraft used in air transportation be equipped with a flight recorder.
