The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew's tardy identification of microburst-induced wind shear.

Other factors included poor visibility, a lack of altitude, and airspeed callouts by the aircrew.

[3] The flight was receiving signals from the Localizer and was using the Instrument landing system (ILS) for runway 5.

At 23:38 the approach controller informed the flight of a bad rain shower at the airport, then at 23:39 stated the wind is zero three zero degrees at two zero, gusting two five.

[3] Nine passengers and one crew member, Third Officer Phillips, survived the initial crash and post-accident fire.

[3] The NTSB's final report dated October 6, 1977 determined that the probable cause of the accident was:[3] The flight crew's late recognition, and failure to correct in a timely manner, an excessive descent rate which developed as a result of the aircraft's penetration through destabilizing wind changes.

The winds consisted of horizontal and vertical components produced by a heavy rainstorm and influenced by uneven terrain close to the aircraft's approach path.