What happened
On October 4, 1945, Flight 16 departed Miami one hour and fifteen minutes late due to scheduling changes. The flight proceeded with routine stops at Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Tampa. After refueling in Tampa, the aircraft was cleared under contact flight rules for Lakeland, located thirty-three miles away.
The crew of three and twelve passengers departed Tampa at 0045 local time. While weather conditions at Tampa were unlimited, Lakeland reported nine miles visibility with scattered clouds at 500 feet. The aircraft climbed to 1,500 feet before beginning a straight-in approach to the northeast runway. At 0058, the first officer made an in-range report, and the tower provided wind information.
During the descent, the crew extended gear, adjusted mixture and manifold pressure, and deployed flaps as they approached the field. Approximately two miles from the airport at 600 feet, the aircraft entered a low-lying cloud that had not been previously observed due to its position above dark terrain. The captain decided to execute a go-around, retracting the landing gear and beginning to raise the flaps while applying power.
Witnesses on the ground observed the aircraft continuing down the runway alignment at a uniform altitude of 30 to 40 feet. As it passed beyond the runway end, the aircraft settled rapidly into a lake approximately 1,000 feet past the threshold. The plane struck the water, shed some fuselage covering, and skipped an additional 1,000 feet before sinking in ten feet of water.
Findings
All occupants except two passengers escaped from the wreckage. Local residents rescued the survivors approximately thirty minutes after the impact. The official investigation concluded that the accident resulted from a faulty execution of the missed approach procedure, which led to the aircraft settling into the water area beyond the landing runway.