Accident
A four-engine airplane departed Barbers Point Naval Air Station on a night training exercise to support ships cruising off Kauai Island. While cruising at 3,000 feet in limited visibility, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain on the Na Pali Coast and disintegrated on impact. The wreckage was discovered on a steep ridge, Kalepa Ridge, between Honopu and Kalalau valleys. All 14 occupants were killed.
Investigation
Investigators determined that the pilot failed to realize his altitude was insufficient and did not see the mountain. The official probable cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain.