Incident Overview
A training mission departed Westover AFB. While cruising near the Canadian border at night, the aircraft began a slow left bank without any input from the pilot-in-command, who had apparently suffered a blackout. The airplane descended at a rate of 2,000 feet per minute. Believing the aircraft was breaking up, the navigator ejected without direction from the pilot. Subsequently, the captain instructed all crew members to bail out.
Crash and Aftermath
The aircraft crashed and burned in an open field near Plainfield, creating a crater 350 feet long, 30 feet deep, and 30 feet wide. Eight occupants were found alive, while the body of the navigator was discovered seven months later.
Official Findings
The probable cause, as determined by the official investigation, stated that the aircraft rolled over because the pilot blacked out. Without positive control inputs, the aircraft entered a gentle slow roll. This initially went undetected by the rest of the crew, who were each performing their own tasks. As the aircraft achieved a high angle of bank, the rate of descent exceeded 2,000 feet per minute.