What happened
The incident occurred during an evening departure from Syracuse Airport as part of a scheduled night training exercise. While maintaining a cruising altitude of 3,200 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Blue Ridge. The impact site was located approximately 12 miles northwest of Speculator. All three individuals on board were killed in the collision.
Search and rescue operations were initiated immediately following the disappearance but were suspended after several days due to the inability to locate any debris or trace of the aircraft. The wreckage remained undiscovered until it was finally spotted in August 1945.