What happened
While performing a transport mission from Belfast-Aldergrove to RAF Llandow, an aircraft carrying various spare parts struck the terrain on Mount Snowdon. The flight was underway when the crew encountered significantly degraded meteorological conditions, characterized by heavy fog and low cloud cover.
During the transit, the pilot lost spatial orientation due to the lack of visibility. This disorientation prevented the crew from successfully determining their exact position relative to the landscape. The impact occurred on a mountain slope, and search efforts located the wreckage several hours after the incident. There were three fatalities among the crew members involved in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash revealed that the flight's departure from Belfast-Aldergrove was driven by an urgent instruction to reach RAF Llandow as quickly as possible. Because of this pressure to depart, the crew did not verify the weather conditions along their intended route before takeoff. Consequently, the flight proceeded into an area where visibility had already dropped below safe operational limits.