Investigation Summary
The flight was part of a massive 20-aircraft airlift operation moving 1,600 Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) students between aviation training in Texas and amphibious training in Virginia. This was the first year the Navy had opted for air transport over rail for this rotation. The aircraft involved, BuNo 131663, was the second of five transports scheduled for a midnight stop at Whiting Field. Despite clear visibility of 9 to 10 miles, the night was described as 'extremely black' with no visible horizon or ground reference lights. The co-pilot was at the controls during the takeoff. Post-crash analysis of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear and flaps were retracted at the time of impact, suggesting the crew neglected to set the flaps to the required takeoff position. This configuration error, combined with a low climb rate and potential spatial disorientation, resulted in the aircraft striking a clump of trees, three parked cars, and a barn on a nearby farm.
Final Conclusions
The primary cause was the flight crew's failure to maintain a safe rate of climb following liftoff, exacerbated by the failure to deploy flaps prior to takeoff. Contributing factors included spatial disorientation of the pilot-in-command (the co-pilot) due to the lack of visual references on a dark night and the potential for gyro instrument lag or 'tumble' during rapid acceleration, which may have provided misleading attitude indications.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Flaps
The investigation concluded the crew likely forgot to deploy flaps for takeoff, significantly reducing the lift available during the initial climb.
Attitude Indicator (Gyros)
Investigators noted that rapid acceleration in this aircraft type could cause gyros to provide misleading pitch indications, potentially confusing the pilot on a dark night.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident remains the greatest recorded loss of United States midshipmen in a single event.
- 02The University of Oklahoma lost nearly its entire NROTC graduating class of 1955 in the crash.
- 03Investigation of the wreckage showed the flaps and landing gear were retracted at the moment of impact.
- 04Three individuals ultimately survived the crash: Marine navigator Cpl. Jerome Tuttle and midshipmen Jay B. Weidler Jr. and (initially) others who later succumbed, leaving Tuttle and Weidler as the long-term survivors.
- 05The aircraft was a Marine Corps version of the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar.
Safety Actions & Advisories
NROTC Distribution Policy
Following the loss of nearly an entire class from one university, the Navy changed its policy to ensure students from different NROTC schools were uniformly distributed among various transport aircraft.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Single-Engine Performance at High Gross Weight
Reference ↗Surviving midshipmen from other aircraft in the flight reported that one of the students killed in the crash had previously conducted an engineering evaluation of the R4Q. His conclusion was that the aircraft was incapable of maintaining altitude if an engine failed during takeoff while at a high gross weight (full fuel and cargo). This raised questions about the aircraft's safety margins during the critical takeoff phase.