What happened
A scheduled domestic cargo operation traveling from San Francisco to New York was delayed on the night of 23 December due to the late arrival of a flight engineer. The L-1049H eventually departed San Francisco International Airport at 0028 hours on 24 December. During taxiing, the crew requested a modified departure route via the Golden Gate Intersection and Victor 150 to accommodate a heavy load, a request that was approved by air traffic control.
As the aircraft prepared for takeoff from runway 28L, controllers noted a significant left crosswind. The aircraft became airborne at approximately 0030 hours. Witnesses observed the plane perform a slight right turn followed by a much sharper left turn before leveling its wings and entering cloud cover. While some observers noted landing lights retracting, others reported seeing them remain illuminated during the initial climb.
Shortly after contacting Departure Control, the crew inquired about their progress toward the GAP radio beacon. The controller requested an altitude report, to which the crew responded they were at 900 feet. After notifying the flight that they were left of the San Francisco 287° radial, the controller observed the radar target expand and disappear. The aircraft struck terrain at approximately 0031:30 at an elevation of 860 feet on Sweeney's Ridge. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, resulting in three fatalities.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot deviated from the intended departure path into terrain characterized by rising elevations. This deviation placed the aircraft in an area where downdraught activity and turbulence compromised its ability to climb sufficiently to clear the rising ground.