Jacksonville – Savannah – Columbia – Raleigh – Richmond – Washington DC – Philadelphia – La Guardia

On December 30, 1945 at 09:13 PM, Jacksonville – Savannah – Columbia – Raleigh – Richmond – Washington DC – Philadelphia – La Guardia experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-3, operated by Eastern 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 airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

14 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 13 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 7.1%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 11, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Following an uneventful flight from Philadelphia, the crew started the descent by night to La Guardia Airport in unfavorable weather conditions. A first attempt to land was aborted and during the second one, the aircraft was too high when it passed over the runway threshold. The captain reduced engine power and the initial contact with the runway occurred well down on runway at an airspeed considerably above the stalling speed of the aircraft. The aircraft bounded approximately 20 feet in the air and remained airborne for several hundred feet before again contacting the runway. After another shorter bounce, the aircraft remained on the runway and brakes were applied in an attempt to stop. However, due to the airspeed, which was still relatively high, and the snow and slush which covered the runway, little deceleration was accomplished. The aircraft continued off the end of the runway, demolished a small wooden building which housed the localizer transmitter, and came to rest in the Flushing Bay, approximately 200 feet beyond the field boundary. The aircraft was destroyed, 13 occupants were rescued while a passenger was drowned.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC18123, MSN 1999, year of manufacture 1937.