What happened
On an approach to Naha Airport, two aircraft flying in formation collided mid-air. The flight originated from Subic Bay's Cubi Point NAS and was traveling toward Naha. The formation included a Douglas AD-6 Skyraider, registered 135350, which was being operated by a single pilot. While the aircraft were at an altitude of 1,500 feet, they struck one another and fell into the ocean approximately 6.5 km from the airport.
The accident resulted in 27 fatalities, representing the entire crew of both aircraft, including the pilot of the Skyraider.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing factors related to weather and pilot performance. It is believed that the pilot of the 135350 Douglas AD-6 Skyraider may have experienced a loss of control due to atmospheric turbulence during periods of marginal weather. This loss of control was likely exacerbated by spatial disorientation and extreme fatigue, which led to several procedural errors during formation flight.
Additionally, the crew of the larger aircraft was found to share responsibility for the collision. The investigation concluded that they failed to maintain a sufficient separation distance between the two planes and did not take necessary actions to avoid the impact. As a result of this event, new regulations were implemented requiring all crews to maintain a minimum separation of 1,000 feet during formation operations.