Accident Overview
On the morning of the accident, a flight crew departed from Battle Creek Airport at 0733 local time, heading to Miami with an intermediate stop in Lexington, Kentucky. While cruising at an altitude between 700 and 900 feet, the left wing of the aircraft struck the right engine of a Trans World Airlines (TWA) Martin 202 aircraft, registered N93211, which had just taken off from Cincinnati-Greater Cincinnati Airport.
Aftermath
Following the collision, both aircraft entered a dive and crashed in a snow-covered field and a wooded area in a suburb of Cincinnati. Both airplanes were completely destroyed upon impact. All 15 occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Investigation
Official investigation findings determined the probable cause of the accident. The DC-3 was operating in the control zone as unknown traffic, without clearance, and very close to the base of, or in, the overcast.