What happened
The flight originated at Rapid City Air Force Base in the early morning hours with a destination of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The aircraft carried 11 crew members during this mission. While maintaining an altitude of 8,000 feet under conditions of limited visibility, the plane struck the north slope of Mount Sierra Grande. This peak, which rises to 2,661 meters, is situated approximately 7 kilometers southwest of Des Moines, New Mexico. The impact caused the airframe to disintegrate completely, leading to the fatalities of all 11 occupants.
Findings
Investigations determined that the accident resulted from a controlled flight into terrain following a significant deviation from the planned route. This deviation was primarily driven by an unfavorable wind component that the crew failed to adequately compensate for. Although the crew transmitted a position report indicating they were 15 miles southwest of Garden City, Kansas, this communication was not received by the intended station. Instead, the message was intercepted by the La Junta, Colorado facility, which did not respond under the assumption that the transmission was meant for another agency. Consequently, the crew remained unaware of their actual location and continued flying approximately 175 miles further west than intended. The primary cause was identified as a navigational error stemming from the failure to adjust for strong easterly winds, with poor visibility cited as a contributing factor.