What happened
During an attempt to depart from Minot Air Force Base for Glasgow, the crew encountered severe weather conditions characterized by a snowstorm. As the four-engine airplane reached liftoff, the aircraft became uncontrollable. The plane veered off the runway edge and impacted the ground, subsequently catching fire. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were 13 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Official investigations into the accident concluded that the primary factor was that the pilot-in-command over-rotated the aircraft during the takeoff roll.