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routine before-landing check and found that the passengers had complied with the instructions. The feeling of the survivors in the rear of the aircraft as as if a normal descent was being made for a landing.
Upon striking the water, a crash impact light was observed inside the cabin. However, one of the passengers advised that he was unable to read the instructions for opening the emergency door. The stewardess advised the passenger to pull in on the door and it opened.
The crew of Northeast Airlines DC-3, Flight 383, which preceded Flight 320 by about 2 minutes, stated that they had crossed New Rochelle at an altitude of 1,500 feet. A straight-in approach to runway 22 was executed crossing the range at 800 feet and then descending to 400 feet. After 10 to 15 seconds at 400 feet, the full length of the runway became visible to them and a normal descent was started and landing effected.
One ground witness in a car on the approach to Whitestone Bridge described his observations of a large aircraft crossing the highway at about 2353, at an estimated altitude of about 100 feet. He saw the whole belly and the lights on the aircraft and he stated that the markings on the aircraft were red and black. He was unable to determine whether the landing gear was down but did state that the aircraft was in a slightly nosedown attitude.
A member of the crew of the tug H. Thomas Teti, stated he saw the aircraft when it was about five to six hundred feet horizontally from the tug and about 12 feet above the water. According to the captain of the tug, the Teti was proceeding southwesterly in the channel on radar toward the approach end of runway 22. It was approximately 4,100 feet from the end of runway 22, and about 850 feet to the left of the centerline extended of runway 22. A crew member saw the aircraft crash and at the time he didn't notice any lights on it. He said it contacted the water at an angle of about 5 degrees nosedown.
Weather
At the time of the accident, a low pressure center was located near Cape Hatteras and a trough extended northward from this center into the New York City area. Forecasts had underestimated the rapidity of the northward surge of warm air along the Atlantic coastal area in association with the shallow low pressure trough described above. This surge of warm air was reflected in lowered ceilings and visibilities and in the winds aloft observation at Idlewild (2/4/59, 0100 e.s.t.) which read in part as follows: Surface - southerly 6 knots; 1,000 feet - 190 degrees 31 knots; 8,000 feet - 180 degrees 50 knots; 3,000 feet - 200 degrees 60 knots.
The latest weather observation at La Guardia prior to the crash was taken at 2352. At this time, the ceiling was a measured 400 feet (variable), the sky was overcast; visibility 2 miles in light rain and fog; temperature 37; dewpoint 35; wind south-southwest 6 knots; and the altimeter setting was 29.76. In remarks associated with the above observation, the ceiling was indicated as 400 variable to 300 feet and the pressure was indicated as falling rapidly.
The crew of NEA, DC-3, landing at La Guardia two minutes prior to the accident, verified the ceiling and visibility values given in the above observation.
Some members of the tug crew near the crash site and certain ground witnesses described very restricted visibility conditions above the surface of the river and over the land areas north of the river.
