What happened
The aircraft departed Quonset Point NAS on a scheduled flight bound for Iceland. During the journey, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions, with cloud ceilings reported at 18,000 feet. In these circumstances, the airplane crashed into the sea. Search and rescue operations were immediately initiated to locate the aircraft and its occupants. However, despite extensive efforts, neither the wreckage nor the crew members were ever recovered.
The flight carried a crew of six individuals, including the pilot, copilot, and four other aircrew members. All personnel on board were lost in the incident.
Findings
Official Navy investigators concluded that the exact cause of the accident could not be determined due to a lack of physical evidence. Because the wreckage was never found, no definitive mechanical or operational failure could be confirmed. Nevertheless, investigators proposed two potential theories regarding what may have occurred. One hypothesis suggested that an onboard fire might have started due to a leak in a temporary hull tank installation. An alternative theory posited that the aircraft may have entered a spin while the crew was flying on instruments.