Midair Collision Between Cuban DC-4 and U.S. Navy Kansan (CU-T188)

Incident Overview On a day with good weather conditions, a Cuban four-engine aircraft named 'Estrella de Cuba' and a U.S. Navy Beechcraft SNB-1 Kansan collided midair while cruising at 4,000 feet under visual flight rules. The Kansan, registration 39939, was a twin-engine aircraft carrying a crew of four on a training sortie from Key West Naval Air Station. ## Crash Details Upon impact, the Kansan dove into the sea and crashed a few miles offshore. The DC-4 continued flying for a few seconds before crashing into the sea 1.7 miles from the initial point of impact. Both aircraft were destroyed, and all 43 occupants were killed. ## Probable Cause The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the crews of both aircraft to maintain sufficient vigilance under VFR conditions to prevent a collision.