What happened
A non-scheduled flight traveling from Burbank to Oakland, California, departed runway 15 at 07:51. The Lockheed aircraft was operating within its weight and center of gravity limits with a crew of three and 30 passengers on board. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft entered heavy smoke and haze, which obscured it from ground observers.
At 07:52, the pilot contacted the tower to request an emergency landing, opting for runway 7. During the approach, the aircraft was observed by the control tower in a nose-high attitude and misaligned with the available runways. As the plane passed near the airport boundary, it executed a slight left turn and its left wing struck a service powerline. This impact caused the aircraft to stall.
The subsequent sequence of events involved the aircraft striking two parked Air Force C-54s before cartwheeling across the apron. The wreckage eventually came to rest in the doorway of Lockheed Service hangar No. 24. While the fuselage broke open, allowing for rescues, the accident resulted in 3 fatalities and several injuries.
Findings
The investigation determined that an engine malfunction occurred immediately after takeoff. Specifically, the right engine suffered from overheating of the rear master rod, leading to significant bearing metal loss. Although the propeller should have been feathered, it continued to windmill. The primary cause was identified as the pilot's decision to attempt a landing without proper radio or visual confirmation of runway alignment following the engine failure.