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testified that the powerplant settings during the approach were about 2300 rpm and 21 inches of manifold pressure, and that the settings were not changed after crossing the LaGuardia range. Both also stated that air speed and rate of descent were approximately 140 mph and 600 feet per minute, respectively, during the entire approach. However, the captain testified that the aircraft's nose may have been slightly up just before contacting the water.
Weather reports available to Flight 801 before departure from Boston showed ceiling mostly around 3,000 feet with other layers above, light rain and fog at many points, surface winds mostly southerly and very light, and winds at cruising level southwesterly about 20 to 30 knots. The 0725 weather at LaGuardia was ceiling estimated 3,000, broken, overcast 6,000, visibility 2, light rain and smoke, temperature 43, dewpoint 41, wind SE 5, altimeter setting 29.99. The 0725 weather at Idlewild, the alternate, was scattered clouds at 3,000, overcast with a measured ceiling of 5,500, visibility 4, light rain and fog, temperature 41, dewpoint 39, wind NW 5 and altimeter setting 30.00.
Forecasts for the route, available before departure, indicated overcast with bases ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 feet, gradually lowering in the New York area to 1,500 to 3,000 feet, with tops of clouds ranging from about 7,000 in the New York area to 18,000 at Boston. Visibility was forecast to be generally 2 miles or better with light rain drizzle.
The terminal forecast for LaGuardia was: from 0800 to 1400, ceiling 2500, overcast, visibility 2, smoke, occasional light rain. The forecast for Idlewild was identical to that for LaGuardia with the exception
