What happened
During a flight between Sheppard AFB and Carswell AFB, an aircraft was cruising at 6,000 feet amidst adverse weather conditions when it struck another military transport plane. The second aircraft, a Douglas C-124 Globemaster II with registration 52-0981, was traveling from Kelly AFB to Tinker AFB at the same altitude.
The impact caused both planes to descend rapidly into a field situated near Bridgeport. There were 15 individuals aboard the C-124 and several others on the first aircraft, totaling 18 fatalities with no survivors recorded from either flight.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary reason for the accident was a failure by the crew of the C-119 to follow air traffic control instructions. Although ATC had directed the crew to maintain an altitude of 7,000 feet, they continued their flight path at 6,000 feet, placing them directly in the path of the oncoming C-124. Additionally, reduced visibility due to inclement weather was identified as a contributing factor to the collision.