Flight History
The airplane departed Los Angeles en route to Da Nang Air Force Base, Vietnam, with intermediate stops at San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Cold Bay, Alaska; Tokyo, Japan; Okinawa, Japan; and Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Flight 45 departed Tokyo at 09:29 for an IFR flight to Okinawa. The flight proceeded without difficulty to Okinawa.
Approach
The aircraft was cleared for an en route descent to 1,000 feet MSL to make a precision radar approach to runway 18 at Naha Air Force Base. At 11:31, the flight was advised: "... have reduced visibility on final ... tower just advised approach lights and strobe lights are on ...." At 11:32:46, a new altimeter setting of 25.84 inches was given to the crew and acknowledged. The landing checklist—including full flaps, setting of radio altimeters, gear down and locked, and spoilers armed—was completed at 11:33:49.
At slightly less than 5 miles from touchdown, the crew was instructed to begin descent onto the glidepath and was cleared to land. The approach continued with heading changes. At 11:34:53, the crew was advised they were slightly below the glidepath 3 miles from touchdown. Additional vectors were provided, and at 11:35:14, 2 miles from touchdown, the crew was again advised they were "...dropping slightly below glidepath ... you have a 10 knot tailwind." At 11:35:34, the controller advised the crew they were on glidepath.
Accident
The DC-8 continued to descend and broke out of heavy rain and low clouds at an estimated altitude of 75 to 100 feet. The aircraft struck the water approximately 2,200 feet short of the runway at a speed of 144 knots.
Probable Cause
An unarrested rate of descent due to inattention of the crew to instrument altitude references while the pilot was attempting to establish outside visual contact in meteorological conditions which precluded such contact during that segment of a precision radar approach inbound from the Decision Height.