Incident Overview
On an unspecified date, a United States Air Force Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, registered 52-0981, was en route from Kelly Air Force Base to Tinker Air Force Base with 15 people on board. Simultaneously, another military aircraft was traveling from Sheppard Air Force Base to Carswell Air Force Base. While cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet in poor weather conditions, the two aircraft collided. Following the impact, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field near Bridgeport, Texas. All 18 occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the collision resulted from an error on the part of the other aircraft's crew, who failed to respect instructions transmitted by air traffic control. The crew had been instructed to fly at an altitude of 7,000 feet but, for undetermined reasons, continued their route at the insufficient altitude of 6,000 feet. This caused them to cross the flight path of the C-124, which was flying at the same level. Low visibility due to poor weather conditions was considered a contributing factor.