Chicago – New York

On February 3, 1959 at 11:56 PM, Chicago – New York experienced a crash involving Lockheed L-188 Electra, operated by American Airlines, with the event recorded near New York-LaGuardia New York.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

73 people were known to be on board, 65 fatalities were recorded, 8 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 89.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 68, passenger fatalities: 62, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. At approximately 2356LT, the aircraft crashed into the East River while attempting an instrument approach to runway 22 at LaGuardia 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. 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, fealty 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.

Aircraft reference details include registration N6101A, MSN 1015, year of manufacture 1958.