What happened
During a scheduled training mission, the crew encountered significant mechanical issues involving the aircraft's propulsion system. The pilot initially notified air traffic control that one engine had failed and requested clearance to divert to RAF Cranfield for an emergency arrival. Shortly after this communication, the left engine also lost power.
Realizing that the remaining engine could not sustain flight long enough to reach the airfield, the captain initiated an emergency descent into a field situated approximately 1.5 miles before the runway threshold. Upon contact with the ground, the aircraft slid across the terrain for several yards before coming to a complete stop. While there were no injuries among the four crew members, the aircraft was determined to be a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the incident revealed that the engine failures were linked to fuel starvation. Specifically, it was discovered that the fuel transfer switch had been left in the OFF position while the fuel tanks were nearly depleted.