What happened
During the early stages of flight, an aircraft departed from Pope Air Force Base. While the plane was in its climbing phase, it experienced a sudden loss of power due to an engine malfunction. This failure caused the aircraft to enter a stall, leading to a crash into a mess hall located at Fort Bragg. The impact resulted in a massive explosion upon contact with the building.
As a result of the accident, there were 7 fatalities and 9 injuries. The casualties included two members of the flight crew and five officers who were present on the ground at the time of the impact. Among those injured were four additional crew members along with five others on the ground.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor leading to the crash was an engine failure occurring during the initial climb.