Thank you to Alvin Lederer for contributing this great old image. The back of the photo has teletype print stating:
"PILOT LANDS BURNING PLANE
MIAMI, FLA.: Fire crew move in to extinguish blaze that broke out aboard this Eastern Air Lines Constellation immediately after take-off from International Airport here Jan. 17th, forcing the plane to turn back to the field for an emergency landing. The fire was noticed near the right inboard engine of the big aircraft shortly after it got into the air with 17 persons aboard, bound for Detroit, Mich. Veteran pilot J. W. Rush got the plane safely back on the ground and fire fighters rushed to the scene. Two minor injuries were reported. (UPI PHOTO) 1/17/59 JL"
Thanks to Joel Harris in Nashville for this information: S/N 4665, Model 1049G-03-142 Special, fleet number 240, registration N6240G. Delivered to Eastern 8 Dec 1956. At 1623 local on departure from MIA #3 engine had fluctuating RPM at approximately 150 feet AGL. The engine was shut down and the prop was feathered. Shortly afterward, fire broke out in #3 and could not be extinguished. While landing, the braking system partially failed and #4 engine quit. They overran the runway by 75 feet and then the starboard main collapsed. No injuries, but the airport firefighters ran out of foam. This aircraft was repaired. It was converted to a 95-seater in 1964/65. In 1967 it hit a New York Airways Vertol 107 at EWR (the left wing tip hit the rear rotor). It was repaired yet again and was finally retired by Eastern in 1968 at OPF. It made one last flight from OPF to Lancaster CA and was scrapped shortly thereafter.
The NTSB accident report for the collision mentioned above with the Vertol 107 at Newark says:
NTSB Identification: NYC67A0129
14 CFR Part 121 Scheduled operation of EASTERN AIR LINES INC
Aircraft: LOCKHEED 1049G, registration: N6240G
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FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA
F S M/N PURPOSE
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1-0015 67/3/14 NEWARK,NJ LOCKHEED 1049G CR- 0 0 5 SCHED DOM PASSG SRV AIRLINE TRANSPORT, AGE
TIME - 1738 N6240G PX- 0 0 77 37, 8000 TOTAL HOURS, 150
DAMAGE-SUBSTANTIAL OT- 0 0 17 IN TYPE, INSTRUMENT RATED
NAME OF AIRPORT - NEWARK
OPERATOR - EASTERN AIR LINES,INC.
TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION
COLLISION WITH AIRCRAFT: BOTH ON GROUND TAXI: TO TAKEOFF
PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
PERSONNEL - MISCELLANEOUS-PERSONNEL: GROUND SIGNALMAN
PILOT IN COMMAND - MISJUDGED CLEARANCE
FACTOR(S):
PERSONNEL - OPERATIONAL SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL: INADEQUATE SUPERVISION/TRAINING OF RAMP CREWS
AIRPORTS/AIRWAYS/FACILITIES - AIRPORT CONDITIONS: POORLY MAINTAINED RAMP/TAXIWAY SURFACE
MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - CONGESTED TRAFFIC-PATTERN
REMARKS- LEFT WING TIP OF N6240G STRUCK REAR ROTOR OF N6676D RAMP TAXI AND PARKING MARKINGS OBLITERATED.
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The Civil Aeronautics Board Aircraft Accident Report (File #1-0024), released on September 20, 1959, states that the aircraft took off on runway 27R at MIA and after the fire broke out the captain brought it back down on runway 9R and they overran the east end of the runway where the above photo was taken. MIA's fire trucks ran out of foam before the fires were extinguished but fortunately other fire units were called in from Hialeah, Miami Springs, Miami and Dade County and the firefighters extinguished the fire with thousands of gallons of water.
