Four-Engine Aircraft Crash During Initial Climb from Iwo Jima to Tachikawa (51-0149)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence The aircraft was operating a flight from Iwo Jima to Tachikawa. It carried two passengers, nine crew members, and various goods, with a total weight of 24,892 pounds. After a 3,500-foot takeoff roll on runway 07, the four-engine aircraft rotated and climbed to approximately 100 feet. At that point, it banked to the left, causing the left wingtip to strike the ground. The aircraft then became uncontrollable, crashed, and disintegrated in a large explosion on impact. ## Casualties All ten occupants killed in the crash included the nine crew members and one passenger. The second passenger survived the initial impact but died of his injuries sixteen days later, on December 6. ## Official Findings The investigation determined that the loss of control during the initial climb was caused by a malfunction of the number one engine propeller. The propeller went into reverse after an electrical short-circuit occurred.