What happened
On the day of the accident, Flight 75 departed with a delay following a weight calculation discrepancy. The pilot and an operations agent verified that the aircraft's gross weight of 60,507 pounds was within the safety limits for the runway conditions, specifically regarding temperature and wind. After receiving instrument clearance, the flight proceeded through the New York airspace toward its assigned altitude of 14,000 feet.
During the flight, the crew reported encountering a line of thunderstorms along their route. To avoid the weather, the pilot requested permission from Washington Center to fly south of Westminster. The controller granted this request. At 16:10, the crew notified air traffic control that they had reduced their speed to 170 knots due to experiencing rough air. This communication served as the final contact from the aircraft.
Shortly after this report, the aircraft type entered a nearly vertical descent. Between the altitudes of 3,000 and 7,000 feet, the plane began to break apart mid-air. The aircraft eventually crashed near Martin Airport in Chase, leaving the airframe completely destroyed. There were 31 fatalities and no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the flight encountered extreme turbulence which led to a loss of control. This resulted in an unplanned steep descent where the combination of high airspeed, attempts at recovery, and intense atmospheric disturbances created aerodynamic loads that surpassed the structural design limits of the aircraft.