Accident Details
On June 4, 1958, at 1358, a Capital Airlines Douglas DC-3 crashed and burned near Martinsburg Airport in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The aircraft was on a training flight from Washington National Airport, practicing takeoffs and landings. On board were three occupants: an instructor and two pilot-trainees. During the accident sequence, the trainee who was flying the aircraft attempted to climb out after abandoning a single-engine approach to runway 8. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area. One crew member (the trainee pilot) died the following day from severe burns. The other two occupants, the instructor and the second trainee, were injured.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the trainee-pilot's failure to maintain minimum-control speed during an attempted go-around, combined with the instructor-pilot's failure to take control of the aircraft in sufficient time to prevent a critical loss of altitude. A contributing factor was the malfunction of the landing gear latch, which delayed retraction of the landing gear and distracted the instructor-pilot for several seconds during a critical phase of the go-around.
Aircraft and Flight Information
The aircraft involved was a Douglas DC-3 operated by Capital Airlines. The flight was a training mission, with the crew performing pattern work at Martinsburg Airport. The accident occurred during a go-around from a simulated single-engine approach. The exact altitude and weather conditions at the time are not specified in the source.