What happened
During the flight, the fourth engine was deactivated following the overheating of a generator. As the aircraft prepared for its final approach, it became unstable and experienced a loss of altitude. The crew was aware that the initial 1,000 feet of runway 35L was unavailable for use because of ongoing repairs, prompting an increase in power across the three operational engines.
While at an altitude of approximately 40 feet, the tail of the aircraft stalled and made contact with the runway. This caused the plane to lose control, resulting in a crash that ignited a fire. During the accident, the aircraft struck various pieces of ground equipment. The impact also destroyed two trucks, an F-4D Phantom, and several other military assets.
As a result of the accident, there were 23 fatalities among the occupants of the plane. Additionally, two individuals on the ground sustained injuries. A total of 8 injuries were reported among the aircraft's occupants.
Findings
The investigation determined that the co-pilot, who was acting as the pilot in command during the incident, leveled the aircraft in an improper position while on short final. Furthermore, the captain failed to provide adequate supervision of the flight operations, which prevented a timely correction of the aircraft's unstable state.