What happened
On the evening of November 8, 1961, an Lockheed L-49 operated by Imperial Airlines crashed during an approach to Byrd Field in Richmond, Virginia. The aircraft was performing a flight from Baltimore, Maryland, toward Columbia, South Carolina, when the crew encountered significant engine issues due to improper fuel management. Specifically, the number 3 and number 4 engines ran out of fuel because the No. 4 tank was depleted.
Following the loss of these two engines, the crew feathered the propellers and diverted to Richmond. During the approach to the airfield, a lack of communication occurred between the crew members; the individual acting as copilot initiated a turn toward runway 02 and attempted to extend the landing gear without notifying the captain. Due to errors in managing the hydraulic system, the landing gear failed to deploy.
An attempt was made to perform a go-around using only the remaining two engines. However, during this maneuver, the number 1 engine suffered an overboost failure. Left with only one functional engine, the aircraft could no longer maintain altitude. The flight path deviated from the centerline of runway 33, and the plane eventually struck the ground approximately one mile from the runway threshold and half a mile left of the approach path.
Findings
The accident resulted in 77 fatalities (comprising 74 passengers and three crew members) caused by carbon monoxide poisoning within the burning wreckage. Two crew members survived the impact. The destruction of the aircraft was total.