With so much of the aircraft 's superstructure gone Removing , the left wing induced Causation drag on the fuselage , yawing Motion_directional it violently to the left Departing .

More forces from that direction tore off the vertical fin , which came Motion away with portions of the fuselage , already weakened Cause_change_of_strength from losing Earnings_and_losses the left stabilizer , still attached Connect .

What was left Departing of the fuselage crumbled Destroying , and the craft plunged Motion_directional to the ground in rural Maryland .

The van partially held up Hindering the fuselage and stopped Preventing_or_letting a further slide .

The smoking gun was a memo from the fuselage 's manufacturer , Convair , to McDonnell Douglas , in which the series of events that occurred Coming_to_be on Flight 96 , and fatally on Flight 981 , was foreseen ; it concluded that if these events occurred Coming_to_be it would probably result in Causation the loss of the aircraft .

The forward fuselage broke Destroying off , the plane pancaked Self_motion and skidded Self_motion , then launched into Motion the air and slammed Motion nose-first into the ground , falling Motion_directional over on its back and exploding into a ball of flame .

The fuselage of the plane was burned Destroying into a twisted mass of steel .

The depressurization was caused Causation by the structural failure of the fuselage skin , which produced Manufacturing a hole approximately long on the upper fuselage .

The depressurization was caused Causation by the structural failure of the fuselage skin , which produced Manufacturing a hole approximately long on the upper fuselage .

The NTSB investigation revealed Reveal_secret evidence of pre-existing metal fatigue , and determined Deciding the probable cause Causation of the incident to be related to an error in the manufacturing Manufacturing process for joining Becoming_a_member fuselage crown skin panels .

The aircraft 's fuselage broke Destroying into two and 46 people were injured Bodily_harm , 4 of them seriously .

The fuselage broke Destroying into three sections and a fire broke out Process_start , damaging Damaging the airplane beyond repair .

2 engine ( on the port side nearest the fuselage ) had disintegrated Change , causing Causation extensive damage Damaging to the nacelle , wing , fuel system , landing Self_motion gear , flight controls Control , engine controls Control , and a fire in a fuel tank that self-extinguished .