What happened
During an approach to Fairchild Air Force Base, an aircraft traveling from Hickam Field, Hawaii, collided with the terrain. While descending toward its destination, the plane struck the side of Mount Shadow, which has an elevation of 4,337 feet. The impact occurred approximately 40 miles northwest of the airfield.
Upon hitting the mountain slope, the aircraft made contact with trees and underwent structural disintegration. There were nine fatalities among the crew members on board, with no survivors reported from the wreckage.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary factor in the accident was controlled flight into terrain.