Incident Overview
An aircraft experienced a fire, apparently on one of its wings, while en route. The crew decided to return to their base but subsequently lost control of the airplane.
Evacuation and Fatalities
Two crew members successfully bailed out and were later recovered. The remaining five occupants were killed when the aircraft crashed along Highway 99, approximately 9 miles southeast of Madera.
Casualties
The deceased were identified as Captain Leroy Campbell (navigator), Captain G. Dick Richardson (radar operator), Master Sergeant John T. Brown (flight engineer), Technical Sergeant Raymond B. Biggs (tail gunner), and Technical Sergeant Harvey Fullbright (flight engineer).