Aircraft
Two Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft were involved. The first, a B-29-70-BW (registration 44-69939), carried a crew of 11. The second, a B-29-50-MO (registration 44-86364), carried a crew of 10.
Flight Details
Both aircraft were flying at an altitude of 26,000 feet. The second B-29 was approximately 1,000 feet above the first when an engine on the second aircraft failed. The failure caused the second aircraft to lose altitude, crossing the path of the first, and the two aircraft collided at flight level 260.
Collision and Aftermath
After the collision, both aircraft entered an uncontrolled dive. During the descent, two crew members from the first B-29 and one from the second were able to bail out and were found unhurt. The remaining 18 occupants—nine from each aircraft—were killed. Both aircraft crashed in a prairie approximately 11 miles northwest of Stockton.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be loss of control following an engine failure.