What happened
During a local training mission conducted under poor weather conditions and at night, a mid-air collision occurred between two aircraft. The crew of the following aircraft failed to maintain an adequate separation distance from the lead plane. As a result, the cockpit base of the trailing aircraft struck the upper portion of the preceding aircraft's tail.
The force of the impact caused the tail of the leading aircraft to penetrate the fuselage of the second plane. This collision resulted in the immediate death of the captain. Following the impact, the co-pilot exited the aircraft using a parachute. Without a pilot to maintain control, the remaining aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into the ground.
The accident resulted in seven fatalities, as the six remaining crew members on board were killed during the crash.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary factor in the accident was poor judgment regarding separation distance from the preceding aircraft during the night flight.