Pilgrim Airlines Flight 203

Pilgrim Airlines Flight 203 (flight number PM203, callsign: PILGRIM 203) was a domestic scheduled flight of the US carrier Pilgrim Airlines on 10 February 1970 from Groton to New York City. On the flight the aircraft ran out of fuel, whereupon it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Groton, Connecticut. All five occupants were killed in the accident.

Accident sequence

The aircraft took off from Groton Airport at about 16:21, and thus about 15 minutes late, mainly because of ground delays on previous flights with the same aircraft. Shortly after take-off the pilots checked in and were instructed to contact New York air traffic control. At 16:27 contact was established and air traffic control issued clearance to Deer Park as filed. The aircraft was to overfly Old Saybrook at 4,000 feet and then climb to 6,000 feet and maintain that altitude. At 16:33 the New York air traffic controller again issued clearance to Deer Park with the instruction to climb to 9,000 feet and to hold over Deer Park. About two minutes later the controller advised that an altitude of 7,000 feet was cleared for the flight. The pilots immediately afterwards reported their altitude of 7,000 feet. At about 16:36 the controller informed the pilots that the expected approach time would be 17:06 in the event that a holding procedure became necessary. At 16:47 the crew checked in with Kennedy approach control and stated that they were holding over Deer Park at 7,000 feet.

At about this time the weather conditions at Kennedy Airport deteriorated, and some flights that were on instrument approaches to runway 13L at that time missed their approaches. For this reason the instrument approaches were moved to runway 22R, which offered better visibility (RVR). At 16:55, because of the runway change, the pilots were again instructed to hold over Medford. At 17:09 the pilots were given 17:46 as the expected approach time and acknowledged it. At 17:39 the Kennedy approach controller issued clearance to descend to 6,000 feet. At 17:42 the pilots asked whether the approach to New Haven could be expedited. At 17:48 they received clearance to descend to 4,000 feet and at 17:50, they received clearance for the approach to Pond Point, which is the final approach fix from which VOR approaches to New Haven-Tweed Airport are initiated. One minute later the pilots contacted Westchester approach control and asked for the latest weather report for New Haven-Tweed Airport. They were told that there were scattered clouds at 200 feet and a broken cloud layer at 500 feet, and that the cloud cover at 700 feet was overcast. Visibility was given as two miles in rain and fog. The barometric altimeter setting was given as 29.46 QNH, with variable winds of 15 knots and gusts up to 25 knots from 120° to 040°.

At 17:53 the Westchester approach controller instructed the pilots: “After reaching Pond Point hold southwest on the 205 radial, right turns, EAC 1815.” Two minutes later the controller checked the aircraft's position and, since he considered the conditions for a descent to be met, issued clearance to descend to 3,000 feet. At 17:57 the pilots reported passing over Pond Point and asked whether flying circuits was still necessary. The controller confirmed this and repeated the instruction to fly circuits. At 18:12 the Westchester approach controller called the pilots and advised that, according to a report from a Cessna pilot who had just landed, the airport visibility was below minimums. He gave the following weather conditions: ceiling 200 feet, partly 500 feet, overcast; visibility two miles. He then asked the pilot about his intentions. At about 18:13, and after the pilots had requested by radio the weather conditions in Bridgeport, which lies southwest of New Haven, the pilots informed air traffic control that they would carry out the approach. The pilots were cleared for the approach and were instructed to contact the controller on duty in New Haven, which they did. At 18:14 the pilots reported that they were at Pond Point. The controller acknowledged receipt of the radio message, …