Accident Summary
On May 12, 1959, Capital Airlines Flight 983, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation (registration N2735A), landed at 1529 e.s.t. at Charleston, West Virginia. The runway was wet. After touchdown within the first third of the runway, the aircraft was intentionally ground looped by the captain. During the maneuver, the aircraft skidded and slid down a steep embankment beyond the airport boundary. A fire ensued, killing one of the 38 passengers and one of the six crew members. One passenger suffered serious burns, while all others on board escaped with little or no injury. The aircraft was destroyed.
Investigation and Findings
The captain reported that braking was ineffective after landing. He chose to ground loop the aircraft to avoid going down a sharp declivity at the far end of the runway. The aircraft departed the runway approximately 600 feet from the far end. Investigation revealed operational deficiencies in the conduct of the approach and touchdown. Crew coordination throughout the emergency was poor. Based on crew statements, the brakes were believed capable of functioning normally; however, water on the runway would have permitted aquaplaning, making braking ineffective.
Probable Cause
The Board determined the probable cause to be the pilot's action of landing the aircraft too fast on the wet runway under conditions conducive to aquaplaning, making early deceleration impossible. An additional factor was the poor coordination of the crew throughout the approach and landing.