Northeast Airlines Flight 823
| Industry | Airline |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Northeast Airlines Flight 823 was a regularly scheduled flight within the United States, departing from LaGuardia Airport in New York City en route to Miami International Airport, Florida. On February 1, 1957, the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. The plane involved was a Douglas DC-6, a four-engine propeller-driven airliner (registration ), which had been in service since 1955. The crash occurred near Rikers Island, initiating rescue operations carried out by correctional officers and inmates.
Accident sequence
The departure, initially set for 2:45 pm, was postponed until 6:01 pm due to snowfall. Onboard were 95 passengers and 6 crew members (comprising 3 flight crew and 3 stewardesses), with the aircraft’s weight slightly below its maximum takeoff limit at . Although there was some sliding of the nosewheel on the snow-covered runway, clearance for takeoff was granted from runway 04 (magnetic heading 040°).
Following a standard takeoff roll, the aircraft became airborne, retracting its landing gear and wing flaps once a positive climb rate was established. Engine power was then reduced to maximum except for takeoff (METO). Due to limited visibility over Flushing Bay, New York, the pilot flew solely by instruments and received instructions to maintain a northeast course on heading 040°. Nevertheless, the aircraft gradually veered left, eventually heading approximately 285° (almost west), passing over Rikers Island. The altitude at this point was insufficient to clear nearby trees, resulting in a crash within of first impact. The entire flight lasted about one minute from liftoff to collision, causing 20 deaths and injuries to 78 passengers; all crew members were injured but survived.
Recovery
Immediately following the accident, personnel from Rikers Island along with trusted inmates (trusties) responded swiftly to aid survivors. Among the 57 inmates who took part in the rescue efforts, 30 were released from custody, and 16 had their sentences shortened by six months through decisions by the New York City Parole Board. Governor W. Averell Harriman further commuted sentences for 11 individuals serving fixed terms: two had six-month reductions, while one workhouse inmate and eight penitentiary prisoners became eligible for immediate release.
Investigation
The Civil Aeronautics Board conducted an inquiry hampered by the lack of flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders, which were not yet standard equipment on commercial aircraft at that time. Their findings attributed probable cause to "The failure of the captain to: 1) properly observe and interpret his flight instruments, and 2) maintain control of his aircraft." In essence, spatial disorientation occurred when the captain entered cloud cover shortly after takeoff, leading to an uncorrected deviation from the intended flight path.
In popular culture
This incident was examined in Alvin Moscow’s aviation work Tiger on a Leash, which analyzed passenger air travel dynamics as understood in 1961.
See also
External links
- Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain
- Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1957
- 1957 in New York City
- Accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-6
- Northeast Airlines accidents and incidents
- Airliner accidents and incidents in New York City
- 1950s in Queens
- February 1957 in the United States
- LaGuardia Airport