What happened
On the night of the accident, a Galaxy Airlines Lockheed L-18able Electra, registered as N5532, was operating a multi-leg itinerary. Following a delayed ferry flight from Seattle to Oakland, the aircraft prepared for Flight 203, traveling from Reno to Minneapolis with 65 passengers on board. During ground operations in Reno, an issue occurred while starting the engines. After engines one and four were running, ground personnel discovered that the air start hose was stretched tight between the power unit and the aircraft's right wing access panel. The ground supervisor signaled an emergency stop to the crew to allow for the disconnection of the hose. Following this procedure, the ground crew failed to ensure the air start access door was properly secured.
Shortly after midnight, the flight received taxi instructions and subsequently requested takeoff clearance from Reno tower. During the takeoff roll on runway 16R, the aircraft experienced audible thumping sounds as it passed through V1 and V2 speeds. Immediately after liftoff, heavy vibrations were felt throughout the airframe. In an attempt to mitigate what was perceived as a powerplant or propeller issue, the captain significantly reduced power across all four engines. At an altitude of approximately 200 to 250 feet, the aircraft began a right-hand turn toward the airport but entered an aerodynamic stall due to insufficient thrust. The aircraft impacted a field, bounced, and slid into a mobile home park where it caught fire. Of the 71 occupants, there were 69 fatalities.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary cause of the accident was a breakdown in crew coordination, specifically the pilot's failure to maintain control and the co-pilot's failure to monitor airspeed and flight path following the onset of vibrations. A significant contributing factor was the failure of ground personnel to close the air start access door, which induced the mechanical vibration that led to the loss of control.