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fuel and oil. During the stop 9,236 pounds of cargo were placed on the aircraft, bringing the total weight of cargo aboard to 9,636 pounds. The main cargo compartment load consisted of human remains. several live animals, live plants, machinery parts, and turkey poults. The "G" compartment (the aft lower cargo compartment) was completely filled with a number of nail sacks containing wearing apparel.
Flight 402, departed Orlando at 2235 for Atlanta. It was cleared IT via Vlator Airway 267 and victor 5 to cruise at 7,000 feet. The flight proceeded normally, making routine reports. at 2331 an FAA AICS operator at the Alma, Georgia, Airport relayed a clearance to N 7840B to descend to and maintain 5,000 feet and to report over Alra. The flight acknowledged the clearance and reported 1t was leaving 7,000 feet. This communication was normal and routine.
At approximately 2340 the ATCS operator at Alna observed Flight 402 as it proceeded along V_5 directly over the airport on a northwesterly course. Approximately one minute after the aircraft crossed the station the observer saw a bright white light, later determined to be an aircraft flare, falling in the vicinity of the aircraft. Very shortly thereafter he heard a radio transmission from 402 "Mayday, aircraft on fire, unable to control." The station operator made several attempts to contact the flight but was unsuccessful. He then returned to the doorway and saw burning debris falling to the ground. Several seconds later, at 2346, a large burning object, the aircraft, struck the ground with a brilliant flash.
Several other witnesses in the area saw the burning aircraft in flight. The flame was described as emanating from the fuselage near the area of the aft center section of the wing and streaming back past the empennage. The aircraft was seen to make several left circles during which the engine sounds increased and decreased intermittently. Burning debris consisting of airplane parts and cargo was strewn over a large area before the crash.
The aircraft struck the ground inverted, at a steep angle, exploding on contact. A ground fire then partially consumed the wreckage. Both engines and propellers were determined to have been capable of normal operation prior to the accident, All damage to the powerplants was found to be the result of impact or ground fire.
All major components of the aircraft, i. e., wings, control surfaces, and Paselago, with the exceptions noted below, were accounted for in the main wreckage area. All received extensive damage from impact.
A reconstruction was made of the fuselage belly and sides, from the front mar of the wing to a polat Just aft of the rear cargo bin, to study the inflight fire patterns. Extensive inflight fire damage was found to have destroyed the Integrity of the control systems. The aileron bellcrank assembly and the rudder and elevator cable pulley clusters, all looted at and just to the rear of the rear spar, were destroyed by fire. Additional heavy inflight fire damage was found from the aft cargo bin forward to and including the ventilating louvers. Several pieces of aircraft structure from this area were found back along the flight path.
