What happened
On the night of January 5, an aircraft operating as Flight 2511 departed from New York International (Idlewild) Airport. The flight was cleared under instrument flight rules for a direct route to Miami, Florida. The journey proceeded without incident until the aircraft reached the vicinity of Wilmington, North Carolina.
At approximately 02:31, while cruising at 18,000 feet over Carolina Beach, the crew established radio contact with the company station to provide a standard progress report. Shortly after this communication ended, an explosion involving dynamite occurred inside the passenger cabin. Following the blast, the Boeing 727 began a wide, descending right-hand turn. The aircraft crashed roughly 1.5 miles northwest of Bolivia, approximately 16 miles west of its planned trajectory, at 02:38.
The accident resulted in 34 fatalities, comprising all 29 passengers and the five crew members on board.
Findings
Investigations into the crash focused on the destruction of the aircraft via an explosive device. The official determination concluded that the detonation of dynamite within the passenger cabin was the primary cause of the accident. While various theories regarding sabotage were explored, no definitive evidence was established regarding how the explosive was placed or who triggered it.