What happened
A mid-air collision occurred at night during clear weather conditions with visibility exceeding 15 miles. The incident involved two aircraft: a Neptune conducting a local training mission from Los Alamitos AAF and a USAF Douglas C-118A Liftmaster, registration 53-3277.
The Neptune flight departed Los Alamitos AAF carrying eight crew members. While cruising at 3,000 feet, it struck the 53-3277, which had departed Long Beach Airport five minutes prior en route to McGuire AFB, New Jersey. The C-118A was transporting 35 passengers and six crew members.
Following the impact, both aircraft lost control and descended into the ground near Norwalk. The Douglas C-118A Liftmaster struck several buildings and a fuel station, resulting in the deaths of all 41 occupants on board and one person on the ground. The Neptune crashed into a stone pit approximately 2.5 miles north of the primary crash site, causing 6 fatalities and leaving two crew members with serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the collision took place within an uncontrolled airspace. Both flight crews were found to be equally responsible for the accident due to a failure to maintain adequate lookout for other traffic. Specifically, the crew of the 53-3277 failed to yield priority to the Neptune, which was positioned on their right.