What happened
On December 16, a Convair aircraft departed Newark Airport for a planned VFR flight to Tampa, Florida. Prior to departure, the aircraft had undergone servicing following a flight from Fort Smith, Arkansas. During the pre-flight engine run-up, observers noted continuous light-colored smoke emanating from the right engine.
The aircraft took off from Runway 28 at approximately 1503. Shortly after liftoff, the landing gear was retracted. Tower personnel observed a trail of white smoke from the right side of the plane, prompting the activation of the airport crash alarm. Following a suggestion from an observer on the ground that the smoke might be caused by an overheated brake, the crew was advised to keep or extend the landing gear. The crew complied with the instruction to extend the gear.
As the aircraft climbed, the volume of smoke increased, eventually turning black and accompanied by visible flames from the right nacelle. The flight path continued straight for roughly four miles while the aircraft struggled to maintain altitude. The speed decreased progressively as the right propeller began to rotate slowly. While flying over Elizabeth, New Jersey, at an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the aircraft experienced a sudden wing drop and stalled. The plane struck the roof of a vacant house and a municipal storage building before plunging into the bank of the Elizabeth River. A large gasoline fire erupted upon impact. The accident resulted in 53 fatalities (including all passengers and crew) and one serious injury to a person on the ground.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary cause of the crash was an aerodynamic stall occurring with the landing gear extended, triggered by a significant loss of power from the right engine. This power loss was the result of the failure of hold-down studs on the number 10 cylinder, which caused the cylinder to separate from the crankcase and ignited an uncontrollable in-flight fire.
Additional contributing factors included:
- The aircraft's takeoff weight exceeded the maximum allowable limit by approximately 117 pounds.
- The airline's pilot training regarding emergency procedures was found to be inadequate and irregular.
- Visible smoke had been present during the engine run-up prior to takeoff.