New Bedford

During the flight, the private pilot/operator was most likely seated in the left seat. He obtained his instrument rating about 7 months prior to the accident, and had accumulated approximately 300 hours of flight experience; of which, about 80 hours were in the accident airplane. The commercial pilot/company pilot was most likely seated in the right seat. He had accumulated approximately 1,000 hours of flight experience; of which, about 125 hours were actual instrument experience, and 80 hours were in the accident airplane. The commercial pilot had filed a flight plan to the wrong airport, received a weather briefing for the wrong airport, and therefore was not aware of the NOTAM in effect for an out of service approach lighting system at the destination airport. When the commercial pilot realized his error, he changed the flight plan, but did not request another weather briefing. According to radar information, the airplane flew the instrument landing system runway 5 approach fast, performed a steep missed approach to 1,000 feet, and then disappeared from radar, consistent with a loss of control during the missed approach. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were identified with the airplane during the investigation. The reported weather at the accident airport included an overcast ceiling at 200 feet, visibility 1 mile in light rain and mist, and wind from 160 degrees at 4 knots. The investigation could not determine which pilot was flying the airplane at the time of the accident.

The airplane was level at 2,000 feet, in instrument meteorological conditions, when the pilot reported 'we've just lost our ahh artificial horizon.' About 5 minutes later, air traffic control lost radar contact, and communications with the airplane. A witness about 1 mile north of the accident site stated he heard the sound of engine noise coming from the water and he described the sound as loud and constant. The sound lasted for about 30 seconds and was followed by an 'explosive collision/impact sound.' He further stated he walked to the shore and attempted to locate the source of the sound, but 'because of the fog, I couldn't see anything at all.' The airplane was located in about 25 feet of water, and was scattered over a 150 to 200 foot area. The recovered wreckage consisted of both engines, parts of the airplane's left wing, empennage, fuselage, seats, and interior. The airplane's attitude indicator was not recovered. A faint needle impression was found on the face of the airplane's vertical speed indicator between minus 2,500 and 3,000 feet per minute. Examination of the left and right vacuum pumps did not reveal any malfunctions or failures.

The pilot experienced inadequate left engine manifold pressure during a takeoff attempt at Newport. The takeoff was aborted and afterwards the pilot decided to ferry the aircraft to New Bedford for inspection. The engine were restarted and operation was good. The flight to New Bedford was without incident until the aircraft was on a two miles final to runway 05 at this time the left engine stopped while the pilot attempted to feather the engine, both the engine and part of the left wing caught on fire. The pilot continued to the airport with the flaps and gear down and a speed at 125 mph. The pilot stated he was in a good position to land when he heard a loud bang which he described sounded like a cable. The aircraft entered a 25° left bank. He leveled the wings by reducing right engine power. Collision with trees to the left of the runway occurred afterwards. Examination of the aircraft disclosed that the left engine exhaust manifold header assembly, which is connected to the turbocharger, was cracked along a weld seam. Also revealed was that the aileron cables that are routed behind the left engine were burned to separation. Both occupants were injured.

Before loading the aircraft for takeoff from LaGuardia, the flight crew checked the enroute weather for the return flight to Hyannis and learned that a landing at the en route stop at New Bedford might not be possible. When they were advised of the weather situation, the passengers destined for New Bedford decided to remain in LaGuardia. At 2132, flight 248 departed LaGuardia for Hyannis on the last leg of the day. There were eight passengers and two flight crew members aboard. According to the first officer's and a passenger's testimony at the public hearing during the investigation of the accident, flight 248 was normal until the approach for landing at Hyannis. At 2234:08, flight 248 contacted Otis Approach Control and reported level at 5,000 feet. At 2239:05, the flight was given the current Hyannis weather which included an indefinite ceiling of 200 feet, sky obscured, visibility 3/4 mile in fog, wind 210° at 10 knots. It also included a visibility of 1 1/8 in light drizzle on runway 24. At 2244:36, flight 248 was 4 nmi north-northeast of the outer marker when Otis Approach Control gave the flight a vector of 210° to intercept the localizer at 1,700 feet for an ILS approach to runway 24 at the Barnstable Airport. At 2245:34, flight 248 was instructed to contact the Barnstable Airport tower. About 2247, the flight complied with this request and reported crossing the outer marker. The flight was cleared to land, however, no further transmissions were heard form the aircraft. The Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center (Boston Center) was able to track flight 248 to within 2.8 nmi of the intended touchdown point on runway 24. Boston Center's computer printout showed the flight's position at 2246:51 about 0.35 nmi northeast of the ILS outer marker at 1,700 feet. It also showed the flight about 0.15 nmi southwest of the outer marker at 1,500 feet at 2247:03. The last radar position shown for the flight was about 1.1 nmi southwest of the outer marker at 2247:27 at 1,100 feet. The first officer stated that the captain was flying the aircraft during the approach to Hyannis. He said that he made the following callouts: localizer alive, outer marker, 500 feet above, 200 feet above, 100 feet above, minimums, and 100 feet below. He said that the captain did not acknowledge any of these calls. The first officer said that when he called 'minimums', the aircraft was one dot below the ILS glidepath. The first officer said that it appeared that the aircraft was in a continual descent without any excessive sink rates or descent angles from 5,000 feet until impact, with the airspeed near 130 knots for the entire approach. He stated that, as he called '100 feet below', he looked outside the cockpit because he believed that the captain had the approach lights in sight. The first officer said that he did not see the ground before the aircraft crashed about 2248 into a heavily wooded area located 1.5 nmi from the approach end of runway 24, on the runway centerline extended. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness. The captain was killed while all other occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Northeast Airlines Flight 285 is a scheduled passenger operation originating at Boston, Massachusetts, and terminating at New York, New York, with intermediate stops serving Hyannis, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. On September 15, 1957, the flight originated on schedule, its crew consisting of Captain Vincent L. Pitts, Reserve Captain Roger W. Sweetland, serving as copilot, and Stewardess Nancy J. Lehan. Flight 285 was routine until it reached Martha's Vineyard where it landed at 2007 following a missed approach in poor weather conditions. The flight departed Martha's Vineyard for New Bedford at 2019, about 50 minutes behind schedule, the result of the missed approach, IFR delays, and accumulated minor delays. The flight to New Bedford was in and on top of Instrument weather conditions and was conducted according to an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan. The clearance given the flight by ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) through company radio was as follows. "ATC clears Northeast 285 to the New Bedford middle marker, via direct Otis, Red 94, to maintain 4,000, to make climb to 2,500 at the Martha's Vineyard radio beacon before proceeding on course. Report on course and report the Otis radio beacon." At departure there was sufficient fuel for the flight to New Bedford, and, if necessary to the designated alternate airport, Boston, with the required reserve upon arrival there. Also, at this time, according to the company load manifest, the aircraft was loaded to a gross weight of 22,443 pounds, well under the maximum allowable of 25,346 pounds. The load was distributed within the center of gravity limitations of the aircraft. At 2024 the flight reported to the company radio at Martha's Vineyard that it was over the Martha's Vineyard radio beacon, "2,500 feet on course." At 2029 it again contacted the company at Martha's Vineyard and reported it was then over Otis at 4,000 feet. A few minutes later Flight 285 contacted the New Bedford taper controller and informed him it was unable to give the Otis report to the company at Boston. The controller took the progress report and requested the flight to contact Providence approach control (Providence controls IFR flights in the New Bedford area). The flight immediately contacted Providence approach control and was cleared to maintain 4,000 feet to the compass locater at the New Bedford middle marker and to report over the marker. This was acknowledged. Immediately thereafter Providence cleared Flight 285 for an approach to the New Bedford Airport and requested it to report leaving 4,000 feet and then switch to the New Bedford tower. At 2036 the flight reported leaving 4,000 feet. Flight 285 then contacted the New Bedford tower operator and thereafter, at 2038, according to the controller, stated it was starting an ILS approach. The controller gave the flight the latest weather as follows: Indefinite 200, obscuration; visibility one mile; fog; wind southeast 3; altimeter 30.02. He also cleared the flight to land, ILS approach, straight in to runway 5, and requested that it call the tower when inbound at the outer marker. Following this clearance the captain of another Northeast flight, 275, which had shortly before, at 2031, taken off from runway 23, the reciprocal of 5, gave Flight 285 the following information. "It'll be tight." Flight 285 reported that it had completed the procedure turn and was inbound over the outer marker. The controller acknowledged this report which was the last communication with the flight. He logged the report at 2046, shortly after it was received. The airplane clip trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located 4,000 feet short of runway 05 threshold. Both pilots and ten passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.