What happened
During the initial stages of takeoff, the crew of a DC-6 applied power to begin the departure. Shortly after this action, a loud noise was heard by those on board, prompting the flight crew to immediately abort the takeoff attempt.
Upon inspecting the aircraft before it came to a complete stop, the crew observed that the number 4 engine had detached from the wing structure. This separation triggered an intense fire that continued to burn even after the occupants had evacuated the plane. The resulting flames eventually led to the total destruction of the airframe. While there were zero fatalities among the human passengers and crew, the incident resulted in the death of six dogs being transported in the cargo compartment.
Findings
Investigations into the mechanical failure determined that the propeller on the number 4 engine had failed. The resulting imbalance of loads placed extreme stress on the engine mounts, which directly caused the entire engine to separate from the wing. Specifically, the failure originated from a fatigue fracture in the first blade of the propeller.