Incident Overview
During a night intruder operation conducted between the locations of Pyongyang and Haeju, an aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure. The incident resulted in a significant explosion that destroyed the airframe. The final communication from the flight was recorded at 0032 Local Time (LT), after which the aircraft crashed.
Casualties and Crew Details
The accident resulted in the loss of two lives, while the remaining two crew members were successfully rescued. The official roster for the mission listed four individuals:
- Captain Ernest H. Duderstadt Jr.
- First Lieutenant Robert C. Lurie (Killed)
- Airman Second Class James L. Mechaney
- Airman Second Class Kenneth D. Wiley (Killed)
The source material explicitly marks the fatalities with a dagger symbol, confirming that First Lieutenant Lurie and Airman Second Class Wiley did not survive the event.