Incident
At 21:45, a Douglas DC-7 carrying 27,484 lb of cargo was cleared to taxi to Runway 01. After receiving IFR clearance for a flight to Wake Island, the crew reported ready for takeoff and requested permission to use the paved runway overrun area, which was granted. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft failed to rotate at V2 (121 knots) and continued accelerating through 128 knots without achieving rotation. The crew then shut down the engines and applied maximum braking. The aircraft overran the runway, went through a fence, and its landing gear collapsed. The DC-7 slid to a stop 1,700 feet from the runway end. All four crew members were injured, and the aircraft was destroyed.
Investigation
Examination of the wreckage and loading records revealed that the aircraft had been loaded incorrectly, resulting in a takeoff center of gravity well forward of the allowable limit. This condition prevented the aircraft from rotating for takeoff under the existing conditions.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was determined to be improper cargo loading, which resulted in the inability of the aircraft to be rotated for takeoff under the existing conditions.