What happened
A flight traveling from Clark AFB in Manila to Tachikawa AFB in Tokyo, via an intermediate stop at Kadena AFB in Okinawa, ended in a fatal accident during its final leg. While conducting a nighttime approach to Tachikawa AFB, the crew encountered adverse weather characterized by rain and low cloud cover.
During the descent to 5,000 feet, the four-engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Hirugatake, which has an elevation of 1,279 meters. The collision occurred approximately 34 km southwest of the destination airfield. The force of the impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe and caused 35 fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
Prior to the accident, the crew had communicated their position relative to the O-Shama radio range station while at an altitude of 5,000 feet. Investigations determined that the aircraft was actually located 40 km further south than the reported position. The primary factor in the crash was a navigation error that placed the flight path significantly off course.