# Accident 19961019045609A: Doug MD88, New York, NY, October 19, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 19, 1996, 16:38 local time
- Place: New York, NY
- Airport: La Guardia
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: DALA
- Location: 40.7694° N, 73.8698° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7694&lon=-73.8698&mi=10
- Aircraft: N914DL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N914DL-2020-01-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 (registry code 3023688, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-md-88) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D series (registry code 52053, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DOUG MD88
- Reported engine: PWA JT8D219
- People aboard: 60
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,024 total, 3,578 in this make and model, 223 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97MA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97MA005) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961019045609A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

STRUCK APPROACH LIGHTS TOO LOW ON FINAL. SKIDDED DOWN RUNWAY ON NOSE GEAR. PIC WEARING NON APPROVED MONO CONTACTS. (.4)THE AIRPLANE HAD STRUCK THE APPROACH LIGHT STRUCTURE AND THE END OF THE RUNWAY DECK DURING THE APPROACH. BECAUSE OF THE CAPTAIN'S USE OF MONOVISION CONTACT LENSES, HE WAS UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE VISUAL ILLUSIONS RESULTING FROM THE APPROACH OVER WATER IN LIMITED LIGHT CONDITIONS (ABSENCE OF VISIBLE GROUND FEATURES), THE IRREGULAR SPACING OF THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS AT SHORTER-THAN-USUAL INTERVALS, THE RAIN, AND THE FOG, AND THAT THESE ILLUSIONS LED THE CAPTAIN TO PERCEIVE THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGHER THAN IT WAS DURING THE VISUAL PORTION OF THE APPROACH, AND THUS, TO HIS UNNECESSARILY STEEPENING THE APPROACH DURING THE FINAL 10 SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT. AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINERS (AMES) NEED TO KNOW IF PILOT EXAMINEES ARE USING CONTACT LENSES, AND CURRENTLY NO PROCESS IS IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT AMES ARE PROVIDED WITH THAT INFORMATION. THE LAG TIME IN THE DISPLAY OF VERTICAL SPEED INFORMATION IN THE VERTICAL SPEED INDICATOR INSTALLED IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE LIMITED THE FIRST OFFICER'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE CAPTAIN WITH PRECISE VERTICAL                                    SPEED INFORMATION DURING THE CRITICAL FINAL SECONDS OF THE APPROACH, AND THEREFORE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC97MA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97MA005), Oct 19, 1996: McDonnell Douglas MD-88 (N914DL), Flushing, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The Safety Board's full report is available at www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm. NTSB Report AAR-97/03. the inability of the captain, because of his use of monovision contact lenses, to overcome…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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