What happened
The incident occurred while the crew was executing a sea mining mission over the waters of the Java Sea. During the operation, the aircraft came under attack and was subsequently hit. The crew communicated via radio that the aircraft had been shot down, specifically noting that both fuel tanks were struck by enemy fire.
Following the damage, the crew reported their approximate position to ground control, indicating they were located off the coast of Surabaya. Despite this communication, search and rescue teams conducted extensive efforts in the area but failed to locate any debris from the aircraft or recover the crew members. No trace of the airframe or personnel was ever found.
Findings
The official investigation concluded that the loss of the aircraft was directly attributable to enemy action. The specific mechanism of failure involved the destruction of critical systems, evidenced by the impact on both fuel tanks, which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable and led to its disappearance over the sea.