What happened
A night patrol mission originating from Kadena AFB ended in a fatal accident over the Pacific Ocean. While the aircraft was maintaining a low-altitude cruise with a level flight attitude, it impacted the ocean surface roughly 320 km east of Okinawa. The impact caused the airframe to break into three distinct sections, which subsequently sank to a depth of 1,600 meters.
The accident resulted in eight fatalities and left four crew members alive following the crash.
Findings
Official investigations were unable to establish a definitive reason for the impact. However, investigators noted that the incident may have been triggered by an unintended disconnection of the autopilot system during the flight.