What happened
The aircraft was operating on a reconnaissance and photographic mission over Indonesian territory. During the approach to the Balikpapan area, the bomber came under attack from hostile forces. The airframe sustained damage from enemy fire, leading to a catastrophic failure that caused the plane to crash in flames.
All personnel on board were members of the 24th Squadron. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the immediate death of nine crew members. The remaining three individuals survived the initial impact but were captured as prisoners of war by enemy forces. These three survivors subsequently died while in captivity, bringing the total fatality count to twelve.
Findings
The official investigation concluded that the accident was caused by external hostile action rather than mechanical failure or pilot error. The aircraft was shot down by enemy fire during its operational flight phase.