What happened
The incident occurred during a night training exercise originating from RAF Cark in Cumbria. The planned route for the mission involved a round trip visiting Dumfries, the Isle of Man, and Blackpool. Due to a combination of darkness and marginal weather conditions that reduced visibility, the crew inadvertently overflew their intended landing site at RAF Cark.
Upon realizing they had passed the airfield, the pilot initiated a turn to rejoin the approach path. However, the crew was unaware that the aircraft's altitude was insufficient for a safe recovery. The aircraft subsequently impacted Mount Swirl How. The impact forces destroyed the airframe, resulting in the death of all three crew members on board.
Findings
The official investigation attributed the accident to navigation error by the crew. The inability to maintain situational awareness regarding position and altitude during low-visibility night conditions led to the controlled flight into terrain.