In spite of the fact that de-icing fluid had been applied at the gate, a departure delay after the aircraft taxied on to the runway allowed ice to re-form on the wings, leading to the crash.

NTSB在报告中得出结论认为，飞机坠毁是由飞机刚起飞后机翼结冰引起的。尽管在登机口已经喷洒了除冰液，但经过飞机在跑道上的滑行，加上起飞延迟，机翼重新结冰，导致了此次坠机事故。