What happened
During a scheduled Red Flag training mission, an aircraft departed from Robins AFB with a destination of California. During the flight, the crew experienced several deviations from their intended flight path, necessitating assistance and reorientation from an AWACS crew.
While operating over Utah under conditions of low visibility, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Square Top, located approximately 9 km northwest of Gunlop. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. There were seven fatalities among the crew members on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the crew failed to recognize that the aircraft was flying at an insufficient altitude. This navigation error led to the collision with terrain.