Linee Aeree Italiane Flight 451 (1954)

Linee Aeree Italiane Flight 451 was a scheduled international flight from Rome to New York City. On the 18th of December, 1954 it descended too low and crashed into a pier while on approach to New York City's Idlewild airport. All 10 crew and 16 out of 22 passengers were killed.

Flight

Flight 451 departed Rome at 18:40 Greenwich time on December 17, an hour and ten minutes behind schedule. Stops at Milan and Paris were cancelled due to weather, and the flight proceeded to Shannon where it landed at 23:20. The aircraft crossed the Atlantic and reached Gander and Boston with no difficulty. The crew reported to Idlewild approach control at 11:22 EST, and was cleared to enter a holding pattern 13 nautical miles southwest of the airport. Due to poor weather conditions, the flight continued to circle until it was cleared for approach to runway 22 at 11:59, however this approach was discontinued 19 minutes later and the flight returned to the holding pattern. The crew received clearance for an ILS approach to runway 04 at 13:07, however this approach was aborted as well. Another approach was attempted shortly after, this time a Ground Controlled Approach, but was abandoned as well. At 13:49 the flight was cleared for a fourth approach to the airport, an ILS approach to runway 04.

The approach was erratic, first deviating to the right of the localizer course and descended below the glide path (the optimal descent profile). The controller alerted the crew to this, to which they responded by turning to the left past the localizer course and several hundred feet left of it, and by climbing, although it was insufficient to correct their altitude. The aircraft then again descended, and after another warning by the controller the crew again executed an abrupt climb, reaching the glide slope. However the plane again started descending and at 14:00 the left wing struck a pier that supported the approach lights extending 770 meters from the approach end of runway 04, exploding into flames. The aircraft continued for around 300 meters, rotating 180 degrees, before crashing in the 10 meter deep water and sinking beside the pier.