ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation N6240G Miami International Airport, FL (MIA)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 17 January 1959
Time:16:23
Type:Silhouette image of generic CONI model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation
Operator:Eastern Air Lines
Registration: N6240G
MSN: 4665
First flight: 1956
Total airframe hrs:7309
Engines: 4 Wright R-3350 (988TC18EA3)
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 12
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 17
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Repaired
Location:Miami International Airport, FL (MIA) (   United States of America)
Phase: Landing (LDG)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Miami International Airport, FL (MIA/KMIA), United States of America
Destination airport:Detroit-Wayne Major Airport, MI (DTW/KDTW), United States of America
Flightnumber:EA704
Narrative:
Eastern Air Lines flight 704 took off from runway 27R at Miami International Airport at 16:21 hours.
At about 150 feet above the runway and about the time the undercarriage was retracted the captain noticed fluctuations of the no. 3 engine tachometer. The rpm momentarily dropped from 2600 to 2300 rpm.
The engine began losing power and the captain ordered the engine to be shut down. The flight engineer accomplished these procedures. He did not use the emergency firewall shutoff because no fire was indicated.
However, Miami tower personnel noticed the aircraft trailing smoke and flames from the no. 3 engine nacelle area. The local controller informed the flight and cleared it to land on any runway.
The flight engineer then fired two fire extinguishing bottles of the no. 3 engine. Fire however continued to burn until the aircraft landed on the runway.
After touchdown braking became ineffective and the no. 4 engine stopped. Also, the nose wheel steering failed. The aircraft overran the runway, upon which the right hand main gear collapsed. All occupants evacuated and the fire was extinguished by fire services in about 30 minutes.

Probable Cause:

Probable Cause: "The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was an uncontrollable fire ignited in zone 3-A by a burning breather discharge which was ignited by and combined with an abnormal exhaust flame during engine failure."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: CAB
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Miami International Airport, FL to Detroit-Wayne Major Airport, MI as the crow flies is 1836 km (1147 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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