What happened
The aircraft departed New York-LaGuardia Airport for a scheduled flight to Chicago. The route included intermediate stops in Philadelphia, Allentown, Akron, and Cleveland. On board were thirteen passengers and a crew of three.
While descending toward Chicago-Midway Airport, the crew faced marginal weather conditions characterized by clouds and icing. During the final approach phase, at an altitude of 160 feet, the airplane experienced a stall. The aircraft subsequently crashed short of the runway.
The accident resulted in the deaths of all three crew members and seven passengers.
Findings
Investigators determined that the primary cause was the pilot's failure to exercise the necessary caution and skill to prevent a stall while approaching for landing on the short northwest runway. A substantial contributing factor was the captain's error in judgment regarding the selection of that specific short runway for the landing.