What happened
On the morning of the accident at Idlewild Airport, a Seaboard & Western Airlines Lockheed L-1049D Super Constellation, operating training flight LN800, initiated its takeoff roll on runway 31R. As the aircraft reached an airspeed of 117 knots, it became airborne and ascended to an altitude of roughly 25 feet.
Shortly after liftoff, the aircraft experienced significant control issues, causing it to swerve sharply to the left with the left wing dropping between 20 and 30 degrees. Upon the wing making contact with the runway, the flight crew lost directional control. The aircraft slid westward across the airfield into a temporary terminal area, where it collided with a parked Vickers Viscount that was at its gate awaiting passengers.
The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of both aircraft. While the Viscount was unoccupied at the time of the collision, the five crew members aboard the Super Constellation sustained injuries.