What happened
The incident occurred during a night training flight that departed RAF Brampton in the early evening. The aircraft was participating in a combined exercise alongside three other similar airframes. While en route, the crew faced challenging environmental factors, including low visibility, marginal weather conditions, and strong winds. These conditions caused the aircraft to deviate from its intended course. Ultimately, the plane collided with the summit of Mt Green Gable. The impact resulted in two fatalities and left three other crew members injured.
Findings
The primary contributing factor identified was the combination of adverse weather elements during the night operation. Specifically, the interplay of low visibility and strong winds led to a loss of navigational precision, causing the aircraft to stray off course and strike the mountain peak.