What happened
During a flight traveling from Offutt AFB toward March AFB, an aircraft encountered difficult weather conditions while cruising. The plane struck the slope of Mt San Gorgonio, situated approximately 29 miles northeast of March AFB. Following the impact, search teams located the debris field several hours later. There were 13 fatalities among the occupants of the initial aircraft.
During the subsequent search and rescue operations, a US Marine Corps Sikorsky helicopter crashed in the same vicinity. This second accident resulted in two deaths out of the three crew members on board.
Findings
- The primary accident was determined to be a result of controlled flight into terrain.