What happened
Following takeoff from Bilbeis, the pilot elected to perform a low-level flyover of the Officer's Mess. During this maneuver, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately eight feet above the ground. At this height, the left wingtip made contact with a tent structure, causing the tip to break away. The impact destabilized the aircraft, which subsequently overturned and struck the ground in a massive explosion.
All 13 occupants aboard the aircraft were killed in the incident. There were no reported casualties on the ground. The crew consisted of five pilots, three observers, two wireless operators, and two other personnel who were present at the time of the accident.
Findings
The official investigation attributed the accident to poor judgment by the pilot while executing an extremely low pass over the Officer's Mess area.