 A Convair CV-240 similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 15, 1958 (1958-08-15) |
| Summary | Pilot error |
| Site | NearNantucket Memorial Airport,Massachusetts 41°15′48″N70°03′16″W / 41.2632°N 70.0544°W /41.2632; -70.0544 |
 | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Convair CV-240 |
| Operator | Northeast Airlines |
| Registration | N90670 |
| Flight origin | La Guardia Airport,New York City |
| Destination | Nantucket Memorial Airport |
| Passengers | 31 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 25 |
| Injuries | 9 |
| Survivors | 9 |
Northeast Airlines Flight 258 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from New York'sLa Guardia Airport that crashed while trying to land atNantucket Memorial Airport, Massachusetts, at 11:34 on the night of August 15, 1958. All three crew-members and 20 of the 31 passengers were killed, among themGordon Dean, former chairman of theUnited States Atomic Energy Commission.[1][2]
The accident aircraft, aConvair 240 operated byNortheast Airlines, commenced a non-precisionVOR approach to the uncontrolled airport despite the fact that visibility, at one-eighth of a mile (0.20 km) in fog, was below the legal minimum required for such an approach. The aircraft flew into the ground one-third of a mile (0.54 km) short of the Runway 24 threshold and some 600 feet (180 m) to the right of the extended center-line.[3] A post-crash fire ensued; most survivors as well as many of the dead were ejected from the wreckage.[4][5]
ACivil Aeronautics Board (CAB) investigation found that the captain of the aircraft failed to acknowledge transmissions warning him of the deteriorating weather conditions in the minutes before the crash. The CAB also criticised Northeast's training and operational procedures, noting deficiencies in aircrew proficiency, recordkeeping and monitoring of company radio frequencies.[6]
 | This article about an aviation accident is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |