What happened
During a scheduled paratrooper deployment exercise, a formation of twelve identical aircraft departed from Pope Army Airfield. While the formation was in flight, one of the aircraft experienced an engine failure. This mechanical malfunction caused the pilot to lose control of the plane, leading it to break away from the rest of the group and enter a steep descent toward the ground.
As the aircraft descended, it struck ten paratroopers who had recently exited other planes in the formation via parachute. Following this mid-air collision, the aircraft continued its path into a field situated a short distance from the airfield. The accident resulted in 15 fatalities, including all five people on board the aircraft—comprising four crew members and one doctor assigned to Fort Bragg—along with the ten paratroopers hit during the descent.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the primary factor leading to the loss of control was an engine failure occurring during the flight phase.