What happened
The crew was approaching Cincinnati-Lunken Field Airport under poor weather conditions. They made three unsuccessful attempts to land. During the fourth approach, the aircraft touched down with excessive speed and struck the runway surface hard. The captain elected to increase engine power and continue the flight to Florence, South Carolina, rather than completing the landing procedure.
Shortly after departure, while cruising through a thunderstorm with significant turbulence, the airframe experienced oscillations in bank angle before losing control entirely. From an altitude of approximately 250 meters, the aircraft shed portions of its wings and elevators. It then dove into the ground, impacting an open field. The crash forces and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft completely.
All 21 occupants were killed in the accident. The crew consisted of officers and enlisted personnel from various ranks, including Second Lieutenants, Staff Sergeants, Corporals, Privates, and a Private First Class.
Findings
The investigation determined that the structural failure occurred when the aircraft dived into the ground, subjecting the airframe to forces exceeding its design limits. The initial hard landing caused minor damage to the wing and elevator structures. This pre-existing weakness was exacerbated by moderate to severe turbulence encountered during the subsequent flight segment.
Contributing factors included poor judgment by the pilots in deciding to continue the flight without inspecting the aircraft after the heavy touchdown. Additionally, carburetor ice accumulation, potentially linked to torsion from the hard landing, impaired engine performance during the final phase of the flight.