What happened
A flight originating from Patuxent River NAS, destined for Port Lyautey, Morocco, via Lajes, vanished while traversing the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft was transporting a total of 42 occupants, consisting of 21 passengers and 21 crew members, including children and civilians. At approximately 23:30 local time, the flight crew provided a position report to air traffic control, indicating they were located 400 miles east of Baltimore, Maryland. This communication served as the final contact from the aircraft.
Roughly ninety minutes after that transmission, while maintaining a cruising altitude of 17,000 feet, the R7V-1 experienced a loss of control and impacted the ocean surface. No distress signals were transmitted by the crew prior to the crash. Despite an extensive search and rescue operation covering a vast area, the mission was terminated six days later because of deteriorating weather. Investigators found no wreckage or debris from the aircraft, nor any signs of the 111 life vests, 46 exposure suits, or 5 life rafts that were documented on board.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the R7V-1 was subjected to a sudden and violent force that destroyed its airworthiness and made manual recovery impossible. While investigators could not definitively identify the specific cause of this event, they noted that the aircraft's destruction was beyond human control. Although the possibility of structural failure while passing through frontal weather was considered, it was deemed a remote possibility.