What happened
During an approach to LaGuardia Airport, an aircraft encountered severe weather characterized by fog and low cloud ceilings. During this descent, both engines of the plane ceased functioning. Following the loss of power, the pilot was unable to maintain control of the aircraft, which subsequently impacted the ground at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, located approximately five miles north of the airport approach path.
The accident resulted in seven fatalities and left one passenger with serious injuries.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the primary reason for the crash was a double engine failure caused by fuel exhaustion. Several contributing elements were identified during the inquiry, including:
- Ineffective management of fuel levels
- Insufficient preflight preparations
- Unreliable readings from the fuel quantity gauge
- Adverse meteorological conditions, specifically fog and low visibility