What happened
On May 12, 1959, a Capital Airlines Lockheed L-049 (registration N 2735A) was completing its landing at the Charleston airport in West Virginia. The aircraft touched down on a wet runway at approximately 15:29 e.s.t. After the initial touchdown, the pilot found that the braking system was not providing sufficient deceleration. To avoid the danger of the aircraft reaching a steep embankment located at the far end of the runway, the pilot decided to execute an intentional ground loop.
During this maneuver, the aircraft skidded and slid off the airfield, coming to rest down a sharp slope beyond the airport boundary. The incident resulted in a fire that caused two fatalities, including one passenger and one crew member. While one passenger sustained serious burns, the remaining 37 passengers and five crew members managed to evacuate with minimal or no injuries. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the subsequent fire.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted several critical issues regarding the approach and landing. It was noted that there were operational deficiencies during the descent and touchdown phases. Furthermore, the coordination between the crew members during the emergency situation was found to be inadequate. While the braking system was believed to have been functional, the presence of water on the runway likely caused the aircraft to aquaplane, rendering the brakes ineffective for stopping the plane within the available distance.