What happened
During the execution of a local training mission, two C-119 aircraft operated by the USAF were involved in a mid-air collision. The incident occurred approximately 10 miles east of Wilmington Airport. Following the impact, a Kaiser-Frazer C-119G Flying Boxcar crashed at the scene.
In the first aircraft, all ten fatalities were recorded among the occupants. The second aircraft involved in the collision also suffered significant loss of life; out of the nine people on board, seven fatalities occurred, while two individuals managed to survive the accident.
Findings
The specific details surrounding the mid-air impact and the precise flight conditions at the time of the collision are currently undetermined. The exact circumstances that led to the two aircraft occupying the same airspace have not been established.