Departure and Engine Failure
The four-engine aircraft, named 'Rafael Urdaneta', departed New York-Idlewild Airport at 2306 local time, heading south. One hour and twenty minutes later, while flying along the US coast, the crew contacted ground control and received permission to return to New York after the failure of the number two engine. The crew was unable to feather the propeller, and the aircraft experienced severe vibrations.
Fire and Loss of Control
Ten minutes after the engine failure, while the crew was attempting to dump fuel, a fire erupted. The aircraft went out of control, dove into the sea, and crashed approximately 40 miles southeast of New York. The airplane disintegrated on impact.
Fatalities
All 74 occupants on board were killed in the accident.
Investigation
The investigation determined that although the accident was observed by witnesses, its cause cannot be established with absolute certainty. The official probable cause statement notes that it is logical to assume that the vibration resulting from the loss of control of propeller number two caused one of the inside wing attachments to loosen or break at some point between the fuel tank and the dump chute at the symmetrical point of vibration, behind engine number three.