What happened
On the evening of February 11, 1981, a Lockheed JetStar L-1329-731, registered as N520S, was performing an instrument landing system approach to runway 16 at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York. At approximately 18:40 e.s.t., the aircraft encountered severe environmental challenges, including heavy rain, fog, and low ceilings that obscured the surroundings. The local weather conditions were further complicated by strong, gusty winds and significant turbulence present at lower altitudes.
During the approach, the aircraft's electrical system was experiencing instability. Following recent changes made to the generator control circuitry, the plane had suffered several instances of multiple generator failures. These technical issues occurred while the aircraft was navigating through the degraded visibility and difficult weather conditions near the airfield.