What happened
The aircraft departed Sedalia AFB for a local instrument training mission. While en route to the designated area, the airframe suffered a catastrophic structural failure when both wings detached from the fuselage. The loss of lift caused the plane to descend rapidly and impact the ground in an agricultural field situated east of Marshall. There was no opportunity for the crew to recover control or eject safely.
Findings
Investigation into the incident indicated that the structural integrity of the airframe was compromised by excessive aerodynamic loads. It is believed that both wings failed due an overstress situation caused by a possible inappropriate attitude of the aircraft during flight. The specific maneuvers leading to this condition were part of the instrument training profile, but the resulting forces exceeded the design limits of the wing structure, leading to immediate disintegration and the fatal crash.