What happened
On November 15, 1956, a scheduled Trans World Airlines flight operating as Flight 163 departed from the Las Vegas terminal toward Los Angeles. The aircraft, a Martin 404 registered as N40404, had recently undergone a crew change in Albuquerque and was performing a routine segment of its domestic route. Shortly after takeoff at 1456, the flight experienced an engine malfunction. At 1501, the crew notified the Las Vegas tower that they were returning to the airport due to an engine failure.
In response to the emergency, the tower cleared the aircraft for landing on any available runway and alerted emergency services. The pilot elected to use runway 7. During the approach, observers noted that the left propeller was feathered and the landing gear was extended. While the aircraft's alignment and altitude appeared correct, it approached the threshold with excessive speed. The aircraft floated significantly down the runway and experienced several bounces upon touchdown. In an attempt to perform a go-around, the pilot applied power; however, the aircraft veered left, lost airspeed, and struck the ground just inside the airport boundary.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that the mechanical failure originated when a push rod on the No. 2 cylinder exhaust valve of the left engine failed, leading to backfiring and power loss. This necessitated feathering the propeller to maintain single-engine operation. While the approach itself was stable in terms of position, the failure to reduce airspeed during the emergency landing led to an overshoot and a bounced landing. The subsequent attempt to execute a go-around exceeded the performance capabilities of the aircraft under those specific conditions. Additionally, it was noted that pilot training regarding single-engine performance during balked landings for this aircraft type was insufficient.