What happened
The incident involved a twin engine aircraft operating out of RAF Hooton Park. The flight departed at 1600 local time with a crew of three and two civilian passengers on board. The purpose of the trip was to transport personnel, including a carpenter and an inspector in charge, to RAF Jurby for the repair of several parked aircraft.
During the approach phase toward the Isle of Man, the flight encountered deteriorating meteorological conditions characterized by low cloud cover and intermittent fog. To mitigate the risk of icing, the pilot reduced the aircraft's altitude to 700 feet. At this lower altitude, the aircraft struck the slope of a hill located near Laxey on the eastern side of the island.
The impact resulted in significant casualties among the five occupants. Four individuals were killed in the crash, while one person sustained serious injuries. The victims included members of the crew and civilian passengers who were traveling for maintenance duties at the destination airfield.