What happened
On the morning of the accident, an Douglas DC-3, registration N142D, was operating an IFR flight from Memphis to New Orleans. The aircraft had been leased by Travel Associates from Avion Airways to transport a group of sportsmen toward Belize.
During the approach phase, the crew communicated with New Orleans approach control at 06:35, reporting their altitude. The controller provided weather updates indicating extremely poor visibility due to fog and smoke, with a runway visual range of less than 600 feet. Despite the fact that the required minimum visibility for an approach was 2400 feet and the centerline lights were non-functional, the pilot chose to proceed with the approach.
The flight crew attempted a low pass to check for visible runway lights before continuing the descent. The aircraft subsequently made heavy contact with the runway 1198 feet past the threshold. After bouncing and applying power, the Douglas DC-3 struck the ground again approximately 3100 feet further down the runway. The impact caused the aircraft to cartwheel and ignite. The accident resulted in multiple fatalities.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was a controlled descent into weather conditions that were known to be below established minimums, alongside the crew's failure to abort the landing at the decision height. Several contributing factors were identified, including improper crew judgment influenced by fatigue and a lack of adequate operational management. Additionally, investigators noted regulatory issues, such as rules allowing approaches to begin in sub-minimum visibility and ambiguities regarding missed approach procedures when following visual cues. The crew also misinterpreted information provided by the approach controller regarding the legality of landing under such low-visibility conditions.