The NTSB determined that the cause of the crash was overuse of the rudder controls when the plane encountered turbulence from a larger aircraft that took off in front of it, causing a piece of the tail to break off.

The flight was headed to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, so a large number of those killed were Dominican nationals. In memory of those lost, a memorial wall stands along Rockaway Beach designed by Dominican artist Freddy Rodríguez that features windows and a doorway that face in the direction of the Dominican Republic and includes the names of all those who perished in the crash.