What happened
During a combat mission, a USAF Invader was flying in formation alongside another aircraft, a second USAF Invader identified by registration 64-17669. During this period of side-by-side flight, the lead aircraft sustained hits from enemy ground fire. This damage caused the right wing of the plane to ignite.
As the situation escalated, the crew members from the second aircraft, 64-17669, managed to exit the plane via bailout. However, shortly after their departure, a mid-air collision occurred between the two aircraft. The impact resulted in both planes crashing at the scene. The incident resulted in 2 fatalities.
Findings
Investigation into the crash determined that the primary factor leading to the destruction of the aircraft was enemy fire hitting the wing, which triggered the fire and subsequent collision sequence.