IF memory serves, the captain had not flown to LGA more than once, and then not as captain, prior to this adventure.
IF the captain had done nothing, the copilot probably would have come up with a normal or at least passable landing.
First off , lets dismiss any gender issues.
But I have flown with people who suddenly do not have the judgment/feel/perception of the plane that they should have. I have a theory about this.
Many years ago, I mean MANY. I read an article that said the human eye simply is not in the right focus after hours of flying at high altitude for ground ops. And so too the human mind. But that the time we spend in the approach phase of flight sort of reaclimates our being/eye/judgement to the low altitude stuff that is req'd for landing.
So, if you have been staring at a TV screen for hours at high altitude, you have to make a conscious transition for your eyes/mind to work for landing.
And this captain's mind did not make the transition.
She was worried about wx enroute/on apch. And probably had her mind overloaded upon seeing the environment near LGA (it can be impressive)...its like a really big city. I mean almost as big as New York (kidding boys and girls, I haven't lost my mind).
And then there is the water. Over running a runway into/onto the ground is one thing, but over running into the water is something else.
So there was a disconnect on many levels. And if you rarely use a certain flap setting, there is a further disconnect in visual cues, rumbles, engine sounds, throttle position that adds to the unease.
I would like to know if this particular captain had flown into other, shorter airports in large urban areas, (MDW) very often?
And what is with all the laughter on the CVR? Sometimes laughter is a coverup for fear. Fear heightens senses and sometimes makes for misjudgement.
Provided power is kept on almost to touchdown (note ALMOST), having MORE flaps should make a landing easier, not harder (lower speed for one).
I flew with one captain, once, about 18 years ago who had been taking a medication for weight loss. It operated by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain...making everything happy. Well, if everything is happy, nothing is wrong and judgement is off. The captain claimed that she had stopped taking the meds days before flying...BUT I think it may have taken more time to get back to normal.
COULD the captain involved have been on some, undeclared medicine, affecting judgement?