MC-12 accident investigation underway

Release Number: 051313

5/15/2013 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va.  -- The investigation into the April 27, 2013, crash of an MC-12 from the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, is currently underway. The four crewmembers on board were killed during the mishap. The crash site is located in an uninhabited area 112 miles Northeast of Kandahar Air Field, in the vicinity of Shah Joy, Zabul Province. There is not yet enough evidence gathered to draw any conclusions as to the cause of the mishap.

The commander of Air Combat Command (ACC) convened a safety investigation board (SIB) immediately after the mishap in order to quickly determine the cause of the crash and to recommend measures to prevent future mishaps. The SIB will not produce a publically releasable report.

The ACC commander also convened an accident investigation board (AIB) to investigate the mishap and to produce a publically releasable report. The AIB president is Brig. Gen. Donald J. Bacon, Director, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Strategy, Plans, Doctrine and Force Development for Headquarters Air Force, located at the Pentagon. The AIB president has already visited the crash site and the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar.

In addition to setting forth the factual information concerning the accident in the report, the AIB president will include his opinion concerning the cause of the accident and describe those factors, if any, that substantially contributed to the accident. After the report has been approved by the ACC commander, it will be presented to the next of kin of each crewmember. After the families have had an opportunity to be personally briefed, the report will be released to the public.