Incident Overview
A four-engine aircraft departed Cubi Point Naval Air Station (NAS) on a tracking mission over the Pacific Ocean. The target was the Soviet ship Minsk. About five minutes after takeoff, while climbing to an altitude of 5,900 feet, engine No. 4 exploded. The propeller blades detached and the engine caught fire. Shortly afterward, engine No. 3 experienced an overspeed due to excessive temperature. The crew decided to shut down engine No. 3 and feather its propeller.
Descent and Emergency Landing
Coordinating with Cubi Point Tower, the crew initiated a turn and began descending back to Cubi Point NAS. During the descent, the aircraft banked right to an angle of 60° and nosed down to 15°. Despite this, the pilot was able to continue the descent. The pilot eventually reduced power on both left engines to ditch the aircraft. The airplane struck the water surface in a nose-down attitude of 3 to 5° pitch down. It crashed into the sea about 1,400 meters short of the runway threshold and sank quickly.
Occupant Injuries and Aftermath
Ten occupants were seriously injured, and five others were killed. The wreckage was later recovered.