What happened
The incident occurred while the primary crew was conducting a circular training mission at Reno Army Airfield. After completing a full circuit around the airfield perimeter, the aircraft initiated its final approach under night conditions. During this phase of flight, the plane collided mid-air with another U.S. Army Air Forces C-46 transport, which carried the registration 41-12357 and had five personnel on board.
The impact caused both aircraft to lose control immediately. The two planes subsequently crashed in an area located a few kilometers from the airport boundaries. The force of the collision and the subsequent impacts with the ground resulted in the total destruction of both airframes. Tragically, all 12 crew members across the two aircraft perished in the accident.