What happened
During a nighttime local training operation conducted out of El Toro MCAS, an aircraft crashed into terrain near the base. While performing the approach phase of the mission, the aircraft's right wing made contact with the upper portion of a ridge.
Following the impact with the ridge, the plane went down in the Harding Canyon area, situated approximately 7 miles northwest of the airbase. The accident resulted in seven fatalities among the crew members on board.
Findings
Investigations into the event indicated that the crew did not recognize that the aircraft was maintaining an altitude that was too low for the terrain. This failure to maintain adequate altitude during the night approach led to the wing strike and subsequent crash.