Date:	Friday 21 March 1975
Time:	23:15
Type:	Lockheed C-141A-20-LM Starlifter
Owner/operator:	United States Air Force - USAF
Registration:	64-0641
MSN:	300-6054
Total airframe hrs:	16793 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-7
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 16
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	60 km W of Seattle, WA -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Tokyo-Yokota AFB (OKO/RJTY)
Destination airport:	Tacoma-McChord AFB, WA (TCM/KTCM)

Narrative:
The C-141 was returning to McChord AFB from Clark AFB, Philippines with intermediate stops at Kadena and Yokota. At 90 miles from McChord, the crew were given a descent clearance from FL370 to 15,000 feet. After switching frequencies to Seattle Center and reporting level at 15,000 feet, they were cleared further down to 10,000 feet. The controller misunderstood this to be from a Navy Grumman A-6 Intruder and instructed to "...maintain five thousand". The flight responded "Five thousand. MAC 40641 is out of ten". Still about 60 miles from McChord, they started a descent below the sector altitude. The C-141 Starlifter struck a ridge of Mt. Constance in Olympic National Park 150 feet from the top of the 7743 ft peak.

C-141 Lifetime Mishap Summary / Lt. Col. Paul M. Hansen, USAFR, Ret. McChord AFB WA (1 October, 2004)

photo (c) Vito Cedrini; Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, RJ (GIG/SBGL)

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