Sequence of Events
Flight 75, operated as Capital 75, departed from an unspecified airport at 1520, 20 minutes late. The delay occurred when Captain Paddack identified an error in the aircraft's gross weight computation. The senior operations agent boarded, and together they recalculated the weight, confirming it was 60,507 pounds, 103 pounds below the maximum allowable of 60,610 pounds for the runway conditions, surface wind, and temperature. The flight received an instrument clearance and began taxiing.
At 1529, a no-takeoff from runway 22 was observed (the source does not clarify this event further). The flight executed its clearance, made numerous radio communications in the New York area, and climbed uneventfully to its assigned cruising altitude of 14,000 feet, proceeding onto airway Victor 3.
Final Communications
At 1602, Flight 75 contacted Washington Center, reporting its position over Westchester at 1600, estimating Westminster at 1617, with Herndon next. The pilot added, "...we've got a pretty good string of thunderstorms along that course... if we could stay in the clear and stay a little bit south of Westminster, is that O.K. with you?" The controller approved and instructed the flight to report passing Westminster, which was acknowledged.
At 1610, the flight made its last transmission: "Washington Center, this is Capital 75, we've reduced to one seven zero knots account rough air." No further communications were received from the flight.
Crash and Aftermath
The aircraft entered a near-vertical dive, partially disintegrating between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, and eventually crashed in Chase, Maryland, two miles northeast of Martin Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all 31 occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was a loss of control of the aircraft in extreme turbulence resulting in an involuntary steep descent, following which aerodynamic loads from high airspeed, recovery, and turbulence exceeded the design strength of the aircraft.