What happened
The incident occurred while the crew was conducting a training sortie originating from Spokane. During the flight, an unexpected mechanical issue arose when an engine failed. This critical malfunction forced the crew to abandon the aircraft immediately. The occupants ejected from the plane, leaving the heavy bomber without control. The uncontrolled airframe subsequently crashed into an uninhabited area situated four miles north of Wellpinit. Following the impact, one copilot was killed, while the remaining 13 occupants were successfully evacuated and survived the incident.
Findings
The official investigation identified the primary contributing factor to the accident. The failure of the engine system was determined to be the direct cause of the loss of control and the subsequent crash.