Investigation Summary
The flight was the final leg of a journey from Tokyo to Travis Air Force Base. Approximately four hours and 20 minutes after departing Hickam Air Force Base, the crew encountered significant radio problems, specifically with their high-frequency transmitters, and elected to return to Hawaii. As the aircraft approached Oahu, it encountered a heavy rainstorm and low overcast conditions. Despite the radio issues, investigators noted that communications were not entirely lost as the aircraft neared the islands. However, a critical navigational miscalculation occurred. The crew believed they were on the proper approach path to Hickam, but they were actually eight miles north of the intended corridor. Eyewitnesses near the Waianae Range reported seeing the aircraft's landing lights switch on just moments before impact, followed by a sharp banking maneuver, suggesting the pilots realized their proximity to the terrain too late to avoid the collision.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded the primary cause was pilot error due to a navigational miscalculation. The crew failed to accurately determine their position during the descent, leading to a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Contributing factors included the darkness of night and adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain and low visibility, which obscured the Waianae Range.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
High-Frequency (HF) Radio
The failure of the HF transmitters prompted the crew to abort the flight to California and return to Hawaii.
Landing Lights
Witnesses saw the lights activated just before impact, indicating a last-second attempt to identify terrain.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident was the deadliest aviation disaster in the history of Hawaii.
- 02It remains the deadliest accident involving a heavier-than-air aircraft in U.S. Naval aviation history.
- 03The aircraft was eight miles north of its intended approach course at the time of impact.
- 04There are conflicting reports regarding the passenger manifest: Wikipedia lists 22 Army, 17 Air Force, 12 Marine Corps, and 4 Navy personnel, while a contemporary Associated Press report cited 19 Army, 20 Air Force, 16 Navy, and 3 dependents.
- 05While most sources identify two civilian passengers (the wife and three-year-old daughter of a Navy enlisted man), contemporary news reports from the Associated Press and Bismarck Tribune recorded three dependents.
- 06The pilot, Lieutenant Commander Harold M. O'Leary, was 35 years old.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Navigational Procedure Review
The investigation highlighted the need for stricter adherence to navigational waypoints when approaching mountainous terrain in low visibility.