Accident
A KC-135 tanker, conducting a refueling mission from Larson AFB, Washington, with a crew of four, successfully refueled a USAF Republic F-105D-15-RE Thunderchief (registration 61-0091) at 26,000 feet. After the refueling, the pilot-in-command of the KC-135 began a right turn to leave the area. During the turn, engine number four of the KC-135 struck the cockpit window of the Thunderchief. Both aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground, crashing in a mountainous area within Death Valley National Park. All four crew members on the KC-135 and the pilot of the Thunderchief were killed.
The KC-135 crew consisted of Captain Thomas F. Dozier (pilot), 1st Lieutenant Erwin W. Boelter Jr. (copilot), 1st Lieutenant Ronald D. Williams (navigator), and Staff Sergeant Robert J. Graves (boom operator). The Thunderchief pilot was Captain Leonard F. Reynolds.
Investigation
The official investigation determined that the exact cause of the midair collision remains unclear.