What happened
During a nighttime aerial refueling operation over Montana, two United States Air Force aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision. The first aircraft had departed from McChord AFB to participate in the mission. While maintaining a cruising altitude of 25,000 feet, it struck a second Lockheed C-141B-LM Starlifter, identified by registration 66-0142, which was performing the same mission.
Following the impact, both aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. The structural integrity of both planes failed, leading to in-flight disintegration. The wreckage of both aircraft crashed approximately 14 km north of Harlem. There were 13 fatalities in total, as all crew members aboard both aircraft were killed in the accident.
Findings
The specific circumstances surrounding the collision remain unknown, as the exact cause of the mid-air impact was not established.