Accident
A U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was returning to Homestead Air Force Base in south Florida after an uneventful refueling mission supporting a Boeing B-47. The tanker was flying in formation with a second KC-135A-BN Stratotanker, registered 61-0319, carrying a total crew of six. The first aircraft was at an altitude of 36,000 feet, while the second followed at 35,500 feet.
En route, both airplanes entered a low pressure area and apparently collided. All radio and radar contacts were lost at 1230 local time. Search and rescue operations were initiated, and debris was located a day later approximately 480 kilometers west of Bermuda. All 11 crew members were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that, due to a lack of evidence, the exact cause of the accident could not be established with certainty. However, investigators believed that the two Stratotankers collided in flight, possibly after the first aircraft experienced a loss of speed and altitude following an encounter with a downdraft or atmospheric turbulence.