What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was attempting to depart Freetown-Hastings Airport. The plane crashed shortly after initiating its takeoff roll. The specific reason for the failure during this critical phase of flight remains unknown based on available records.
All individuals aboard the aircraft perished in the accident, resulting in a total of 23 fatalities. There were no survivors. The occupants consisted of three crew members and twenty passengers. The pilot was Captain William Kaehler, with Henry Newton Young III serving as copilot and Donald A. Edwards acting as flight engineer.
The passenger manifest included twenty US Army personnel holding various ranks and specialties, including staff sergeants, engineers, quartermasters, and ordnance corps members. The list of deceased passengers includes Jesse W. Richardson, John C. Arnold, Albert J. Casper, Edwin L. Chambers, Thomas Demarest, Garvin Emberton, William L. Farmer, Rexford L. Green, James N. Jones, John McKeon, Walter A. McNabb, Andrew Senatore, Theodore Walkowiak, Paul Clendenin, John J. Devilbiss, Clarence Doerrman, Harvey Gouch, Frank W. Holstapple, Robert A. Ochs, and John Yakubik.