What happened
The incident involved a military training flight operating out of Kinloss. The aircraft departed under less than ideal weather conditions with a planned route via Oban, Stornaway, and Cape Wrath before returning to base. After completing the first two legs of the journey, the crew reported passing Stornaway while experiencing icing conditions.
Shortly after this report, the port engine lost power and failed completely. The aircraft then either continued toward Cape Wrath or began a turn back toward Kinloss near Stornaway. In either scenario, the plane flew into high ground in the area northeast of Inchnadamph during near white-out weather conditions.
The aircraft was reported overdue at Kinloss, prompting an air search that failed to locate the missing machine. It was not until May 25th that a shepherd discovered the wreckage. Due to the difficult terrain and conditions, a decision was made not to recover the remains of the crew for formal burial; instead, they were buried near the crash site. The aircraft structure was broken up and pushed into nearby gullies.
Investigation of the site revealed that the crew had initially survived the impact but likely died in the hours following the crash due to their injuries and exposure to the cold. One crew member attempted to walk for help but headed east, away from civilization, and also perished from hypothermia. The severity of the weather was underscored by the fact that three local shepherds also died from exposure and hypothermia in the Assynt area on the same day.
Findings
The official investigation concluded that the accident was caused by an engine failure due to icing, which occurred while the aircraft was operating in severe whiteout conditions. The combination of mechanical failure, poor visibility, and extreme cold led to the loss of all personnel on board.