Page:CAB Accident Report, Northeast Airlines Flight 801.pdf/9

 went to its minimum altitude of 500 feet and executed a missed approach because of a local and heavy rain shower. On the second approach this flight became contact at 500 feet and landed at about 0849, 14 minutes before the accident.

Flight 801 was given advisory reports by GCA during its approach. Because the direction of this approach is opposite that of the ILS approach, there is no glide slope provided. The GCA advisories for the subject approach do not include deviation from the desired altitudes, but merely deviation of azimuth at fixed distances from the runway. Such advisories are customarily not acknowledged by the incoming flight. During this approach they were received by the flight, and appropriate corrections in azimuth were made by Briggs. Indication of the aircraft vanished from the GCA scope at a point about one-half mile northeast of the end of Runway No. 22.

It was developed during investigation that this accident was of an operational nature with no malfunctioning of the aircraft or its components, or any of the ground aids. Therefore, the following discussion will be confined principally to the operational aspects.

The operating procedures of this carrier are set forth in its Operating Manual. The manual is explicit as to minimum altitudes during approaches. The minimum altitude for a standard range approach, as was being made, at LaGuardia for Convairs of this carrier is 500 feet. There is, however, an additional 50 feet allowed as an operating tolerance to take care of certain intangible factors. When the flight