Accident
During a night ferry flight from Phoenix to Butte, a twin-engine Commander airplane was cruising at an altitude of 17,500 feet when it collided with a United States Air Force General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark (registration 67-0055). The collision occurred near Kingston. Following the impact, both aircraft entered a dive and crashed in flames. The pilot of the Commander was killed, while both military pilots aboard the F-111 sustained serious injuries.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident. According to the findings, the collision occurred at night when the aircraft was not under radar contact and with no control. It was understood that the F-111 crew had been scheduled for a rendezvous with a USAF Boeing KC-135 refueling plane for a night exercise. However, the F-111 pilot mistook the Commander airplane for the tanker, resulting in a rear-end strike at an angle of 0 to 10 degrees.