What happened
The incident occurred during a night training flight that departed from RAF Brampton in the early evening. The aircraft was participating in a combined exercise alongside three other similar machines. While en route, the crew faced challenging environmental factors, including low visibility, marginal weather conditions, and strong winds. These conditions caused the aircraft to drift off its intended course. Consequently, the plane struck the summit of Mt Scafell Pike. Search efforts located the wreckage two days after the accident. All five individuals on board were killed in the crash.
Findings
The primary contributing factor identified was the combination of adverse weather elements, specifically low visibility and strong winds, which led to a loss of course accuracy during the night operation.