What happened
On February 8, 1956, the Royal Air Force experienced a significant aviation incident involving multiple aircraft. Eight Hawker Hunter jet fighters were conducting a four-by-four dogfight exercise at an altitude of 45,000 feet (approximately 14,000 meters) while operating out of RAF West Raynham. Following the conclusion of this training maneuver, the formation intended to divert to RAF Marham. However, adverse weather conditions severely impacted visibility and flight safety during the approach. Consequently, six of the eight aircraft were lost in the accident.
Investigation
The available records indicate that the primary factor leading to the loss of the aircraft was the deteriorating weather encountered during the diversion from the exercise area to the alternate airfield. The specific technical or procedural details of the investigation are not provided in the source material, but the environmental conditions at altitude and during descent were critical.
Findings
The accident resulted in the destruction of six Hawker Hunter aircraft. Tragically, one fatality was confirmed among the crew members involved. The remaining two aircraft from the original eight successfully completed their diversion or were not part of the lost group, though specific details regarding their status are not elaborated upon in the provided text.