What happened
On the afternoon of June 4, 1958, a Douglas DC-3 operated by Capital Airlines was conducting flight training maneuvers near Martinsburg Airport in West Virginia. The aircraft had departed from Washington National Airport to perform takeoff and landing practice sessions at the Martinsburg facility.
During one such maneuver, the crew attempted a go-around following an approach to runway 8 that had been initiated using single-engine parameters. As the pilot attempted to climb out, the aircraft entered a stall and impacted a nearby wooded area. The accident resulted in one fatality and two injuries. While two occupants survived the initial impact, one of the trainees succumbed to severe burns the following day.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the primary reason for the crash was the instructor's failure to intervene and regain control of the aircraft after the trainee-pilot allowed the airspeed to drop below the minimum-control speed during the climb.
A significant contributing factor was a malfunction of the landing gear latch, which prevented the gear from retracting promptly. This mechanical issue distracted the instructor for several seconds at a vital moment during the go-around procedure, preventing an effective response to the developing stall.