Flight Details
Flight 304 was a scheduled passenger flight from Mexico City, Mexico, to New York City, United States, with several intermediate stops. The flight departed New Orleans, Louisiana, at 0200 local time.
Departure and Initial Climb
The local controller observed Flight 304 commence takeoff at 0159:46. The lift-off appeared normal. At approximately 0201, the controller advised the flight to contact Departure Control, which was acknowledged. The controller estimated the flight was two to three miles north of the airport when the lights disappeared into the overcast.
Radio Communications and Radar Contact
Voice communication and radar contact were established between the flight and the departure controller, who instructed the crew to turn right heading 030 to be vectored north of the planned route J-37. While on this vector, the departure controller contacted the New Orleans Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The radar target was identified five miles north of the New Orleans VORTAC, and a radar handoff was effected at 0202:38. Flight 304 was instructed to contact New Orleans Center radar on frequency 123.6. The crew replied "OK" at 0203:15, which was the last transmission from the flight.
Loss of Radar Contact
At 0205:40, the center controller contacted the departure controller to verify that proper instructions had been given. During this conversation, both controllers confirmed that the radar target associated with the flight had disappeared from both radar scopes. Emergency procedures were initiated shortly thereafter. The last position noted by the controllers was approximately eight miles from the New Orleans VORTAC on the 030-degree radial.
Crash and Aftermath
The aircraft crashed at a location 14.5 miles on the 034-degree radial from the New Orleans VORTAC, in Lake Pontchartrain. The aircraft disintegrated on impact. All 58 occupants on board were killed. Moderate to severe turbulence existed in the area at the time of the accident.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident was "the degradation of aircraft stability characteristics in turbulence, because of abnormal longitudinal trim component positions."