Incident Overview
Date: Tuesday 3 August 1954
Aircraft Type: Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation
Owner/operator: Air France
Registration Number: F-BGNA
Location: Preston City, CT –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 37
Component Affected: Captain’s decision-making regarding airport selection during the flight.Captain’s decision-making regarding airport selection during the flight.
Investigating Agency: CABCAB
Category: Accident
On New York-Idlewild Airport, an ILS approach was discontinued due to severe turbulence, heavy rain, and a low ceiling. The crew elected to divert to Boston, resulting in a belly landing in a field. A subsequent fuel exhaustion led to a burnout of the Constellation aircraft.On New York-Idlewild Airport, an ILS approach was discontinued due to severe turbulence, heavy rain, and a low ceiling. The crew elected to divert to Boston, resulting in a belly landing in a field. A subsequent fuel exhaustion led to a burnout of the Constellation aircraft.
Description
The ILS approach to New York-Idlewild Airport was discontinued because of unexpected heavy turbulence, heavy rain and low ceiling. The crew then elected to divert to Boston. Fuel exhaustion then forced the flight crew to carry out a belly landing in a field. The Constellation burned out. PROBABLE CAUSE: “Inadequate in-flight planning, in that the captain did not make a firm selection of a suitable airport within range of the fuel remaining at the time of the missed approach, necessitating an off-airport landing.”
Primary Cause
Inadequate in-flight planning: The captain failed to select a suitable airport within range of the remaining fuel, necessitating an off-airport landing.Inadequate in-flight planning: The captain failed to select a suitable airport within range of the remaining fuel, necessitating an off-airport landing.Share on:
