What happened
In the evening, the crew departed McClellan AFB, located near Sacramento, California, on a routine mission to Seattle, Washington. Following takeoff, the pilot executed a circuit around the airport to climb to an assigned altitude of 16,500 feet. Upon reaching this level, engine power was reduced to 2,300 RPM. Minutes later, the right engine failed, and the left engine subsequently ceased functioning as well.
The aircraft lost control and dove toward the ground, resulting in a violent impact and a large explosion. One crew member managed to bail out before the crash and survived with injuries. The remaining five occupants were killed in the accident. The flight crew consisted of four named military personnel, though specific individual identities are not required for this factual summary.
Findings
The official investigation determined that the immediate cause of the accident was a double engine failure. No further contributing factors or mechanical details beyond the simultaneous loss of power on both engines were specified in the provided source material.