What happened
A formation consisting of nine Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar aircraft, operating under the flight code 'Chalk', was traveling from Dreux, Eure-et-Loir, toward Stuttgart-Echterdingen Airport in Germany. During the transit, the pilot of aircraft 53-3222 (Chalk 8) reported a failure of the left engine and notified the formation leader of his intention to depart the group immediately for an emergency landing.
As the pilot of 53-3222 attempted to exit the formation by turning left, the upper portion of the aircraft's empennage struck the cockpit base of aircraft 53-7841 (Chalk 9). Following the impact, both aircraft lost control and descended into a field and wooded area near Edelweiler. The impact with the ground caused both airframes to disintegrate, resulting in 66 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations determined that the collision was primarily driven by pilot error regarding formation positioning. While the engine failure on aircraft 53-3222 initiated the emergency departure, the accident was avoidable had the crew of 53-7841 maintained their assigned altitude. Evidence indicated that the crew of 53-7841 had overtaken the element leader and failed to respect established flight parameters.
Additionally, investigators identified supervisory issues contributing to the safety of the flight, noting that the pilot involved in the collision had not received adequate rest and was operating with a co-pilot who possessed very limited experience.