Takeoff and Engine Failure
The aircraft lifted off from runway 06L after traveling approximately 7,500 feet down the 10,015-foot runway. During or just after liftoff, the number 3 propeller feathered. The aircraft climbed to 100 feet while yawing to the right.
Crew Actions and Loss of Control
The crew retracted the landing gear and flaps before the aircraft reached the apex of its climb. The aircraft then rotated to a nose-high attitude, appeared to become laterally unstable, and struck the rising terrain in a tail-low attitude. Impact occurred about 4,300 feet beyond the departure end of the runway.
Post-Impact Sequence
The aft portion of the fuselage dragged along the ground for 220 feet in a right wing down attitude, after which the aircraft slid off a 13-foot embankment, crashed through the chain link perimeter fence of Agana Naval Air Station, crossed a highway, and burst into flames. The aircraft came to rest in an open area between residential areas, approximately 4,900 feet beyond the end of runway 06L.
Casualties and Injuries
As the aircraft slid across the highway, it struck an automobile, killing the driver. A woman and her son standing outside their residence just south of the impact site were seriously burned by the heat of burning fuel and seriously injured by flying debris. All 45 occupants on board the Electra were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause was the loss of climb capability after the crew retracted the flaps at too low an altitude to clear the rising terrain. The flaps were retracted after the number 3 propeller feathered as the aircraft lifted off the runway. Contributing to the accident was the captain's decision to continue the takeoff after an engine failed before reaching rotation speed.