New York

The Electra scheduled as Flight 361 departed Boston at 0716LT with its destination St Louis, Missouri, and with a planned intermediate stop at LaGuardia Airport. About ten minutes prior to departure a crew change was made when a check pilot boarded the aircraft to flight-check the flight engineer. This check pilot, by mutual agreement with the crew and in accordance with existing company policy, took over the left or pilot-in-command seat with the previously assigned captain moving to the jump seat. The trip was routine until final approach at LaGuardia. On final approach, the airplane aircraft was too low and struck a dyke with its main landing gear and crash landed. Approximately half of the 76 persons on board suffered minor injuries or shock; no one was killed. The aircraft was severely damaged by impact forces and fire.

The crew was completing a local training flight at Calverton-Peconic River Airport, Long Island, New York. While approaching runway 23 at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the airplane yawed to the right, stalled and crashed in a field located three miles from the airport. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all five crew members were killed.

At approximately 2356LT, the aircraft crashed into the East River while attempting an instrument approach to runway 22 at LaGuardia Airport. There were 73 persons on board, including one infant. The captain and one stewardess were killed; the first officer, flight engineer, and the remaining stewardess survived. Of the 68 passengers, 5 survived. The Board believes that a premature descent below landing minimums was the result of preoccupation of the crew on particular aspects of the aircraft and its environment to the neglect of essential flight instrument references for attitude and height above the approach surface. Contributing factors were found to be: limited experience of the crew with the aircraft type, fealty approach technique in which the autopilot was used in the heading mode to or almost to the surface, erroneous setting of the captain's altimeter, marginal weather in the approach area, possible misinterpretation of altimeter and rate of descent indicator, and sensory illusion with respect to height and attitude resulting from visual reference to the few lights existing in the approach area.

The Viscount was parked at gate to board passengers when it was struck by a Seaboard & Western Airlines' Lockheed L-1049D Super Constellation which was performing training flight LN800 at Idlewild Airport. The Constellation began its takeoff run on runway 31R of the New York International Airport at 1100. When an airspeed of 117 knots (V 2) was reached, the aircraft became airborne and climbed to an altitude of approximately 25 feet. At this altitude severe control difficulty was encountered, causing the aircraft to veer suddenly to the left and the left wing to lower 20 to 30 degrees. This wing struck the runway and from this point on directional control of the aircraft was lost. The aircraft skidded In a westerly direction into a temporary terminal area and came to rest after striking the Viscount. All five crew members from the Constellation were injured while the Viscount was empty. Both aircraft were totally destroyed by fire.

Seaboard & Western's Flight LN-800, a training flight, began its takeoff run on runway 31R of the New York International Airport at 1100. When an airspeed of 117 knots (V 2) was reached, the aircraft became airborne and climbed to an altitude of approximately 25 feet. At this altitude severe control difficulty was encountered, causing the aircraft to veer suddenly to the left and the left wing to lower 20 to 30 degrees. This wing struck the runway and from this point on directional control of the aircraft was lost. The aircraft skidded In a westerly direction into a temporary terminal area and came to rest after striking a parked Trans Canada Air Lines Vickers 724 Viscount. All five crew members were injured while the Viscount was empty.

The crew as completing a local night training mission at Mitchel AFB. After touchdown, the airplane encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance, overran, went through a fence and a road, colliding with three cars before coming to rest. All four crew members were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. On the ground, one driver was killed while four other people were also injured.

Eastern Air Lines Flight 18 is a scheduled operation serving the carrier's route between New York City and Massena, New York, and its intermediate stops at Albany, Plattsburg, and Malone, New York. On November 14, at 1245, the flight originated on schedule, its flight crew consisting of Captain Joseph W. Harpham, First Officer Robert Casper and Flight Attendant Nancy A. Price. The flight followed routine preparation and was in accordance with an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan. The general weather conditions over most of the route were forecast to be good. The flight proceeded through the intermediate stops in a routine manner, with most passengers deplaning at Albany and Flattsburg. Just prior to reaching Malone the instrument flight plan was canceled in good weather conditions. The flight landed at Malone at 1502. Continuing uneventfully, Flight 18 departed Malone at 1510. The gross takeoff weight of the Martin 404 was 35,977 pounds, 8,923 pounds under the maximum allowable. According to the load manifest the load was properly distributed within the center of gravity limitations. The first officer made the takeoff, climbed the aircraft approximately 2,500 feet, and flew it to Massena. Captain Harpham from his left seat, supervised the flight and performed the duties of copilot. At 1516, when about eight miles east of Richards Field, Captain Harpham reported the flight's position, then asked for and received landing information, which included the surface wind as “northeast 5 to 10 knots," and the active runway 4 (150 feet wide and 4,000 feet long). First Officer Casper established a downwind leg at 1,200 feet to execute a rectangular left-hand pattern for landing on runway 4. The flight was viewed briefly by ground observers during the pattern before reaching the final landing approach and it seemed entirely normal. As the aircraft drew closer to the threshold it seemed high and thereafter assumed an abnormally steep descent. As it approached the runway surface the aircraft assumed a flareout attitude, however, the rate of descent continued with little visible abatement. Consequently, N492A contacted the runway surface with great force at which time the right powerplant separated from the aircraft. The aircraft rebounded and again contacted with great force. It then rolled forward and gradually off the runway to the right. Before stopping it crossed a taxiway and the left powerplant fell free, accompanied by a small fire in the engine and the empty nacelle area. As the aircraft stopped Captain Harpham shut off the fuel and electrical services and ordered the loading ramp lowered. The passengers and crew quickly evacuated by this exit without difficulty or reported injury. At 1522, two minutes after the accident, weather conditions were reported as: Ceiling 4,000 feet broken, 10,000 feet, overcast; visibility 3 miles; haze; wind northeast 6 knots.

The approach to Binghamton Airport was completed at an insufficient altitude. On short final, the aircraft struck a concrete wall. Upon impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the aircraft crash landed. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

The crew was performing a test flight after the aircraft had undergone an intermediate inspection in which the control columns were removed and inspected for fatigue cracks in the bottom casting. The plane was cleared for take-off and instructed to turn right immediately after take-off to avoid other traffic. Take-off was normal but immediately after leaving the runway the plane banked slightly to the left, hesitated, and then banked and then banked very rapidly to the left until it was in a 90° bank. The left wing tip struck the ground and the plane broke in two and crashed. Four crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Those killed were:
Lcdr Claude S. Labaw,
Lt Rolland A. Faucher,
AD3 Matthew R. Ross,
AT3 Gerald R. Fox.

Shortly after takeoff from runway 17 at Plattsburgh Airport, while climbing, the airplane lost height, stalled and crashed into Lake Champlin. Three crew members were rescued while five others were killed.