What happened
During a nighttime operation, a Douglas C-47, registration N7, was performing an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The aircraft was operating under instrument meteorological conditions characterized by low visibility and light rain. While attempting the approach to runway 06, the aircraft struck the ground approximately 2,000 feet before reaching the runway threshold.
At the time of the accident, weather observations indicated significant cloud cover with ceilings as low as 200 feet and visibility restricted to 1.5 miles due to fog and rain. The wind was recorded at 11 knots from 060 degrees.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical errors in flight management. A primary contributing factor was the pilot's failure to identify and correct for windshear during the approach. Additionally, a lack of effective crew coordination was noted; specifically, the co-pilot failed to monitor the descent or alert the pilot that the aircraft had lost necessary altitude due to an internal communication issue.
These factors, combined with the pilot's diverted attention from essential flight tasks, led to a poorly managed ILS approach and an uncontrolled descent into ground obstructions.