What happened
During a nighttime training operation departing from March AFB in Riverside, an aircraft encountered severe weather conditions while cruising at 8,000 feet. While flying through a storm, the plane made contact with treetops and subsequently crashed on the northern slope of Mount Pallett, situated approximately 8.4 miles south of Pearblossom.
The impact occurred just beneath the mountain ridge, causing the wreckage to be distributed across both sides of the crest. There were four fatalities among the crew members involved in the mission.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor leading to the crash was controlled flight into terrain.