What happened
During a departure from runway 12 at Miami International Airport, the crew of a Carvair experienced mechanical difficulties while climbing to an altitude of approximately 300 feet. The flight crew identified issues with the engines and subsequently requested permission to return to the airport for an emergency landing on runway 27.
While performing a circuit to approach the runway, the aircraft experienced a loss of control. This led to an aerodynamic stall, causing the plane to crash into several structures located roughly one mile before reaching runway 27. The impact resulted in a significant explosion. While the damage to vehicles and buildings was limited to a few structures, the accident had a high human cost. There were four fatalities among the crew and passengers on board, along with six fatalities on the ground. Additionally, 12 injuries were reported, including several individuals in serious condition.
Observations following the incident indicated that white smoke was emitting from the second engine, while the fourth engine was producing black smoke.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident was caused by inappropriate responses from the crew while attempting to manage a critical engine failure during the initial climb phase.