What happened
The incident involved a 1st AFU aircraft conducting a night navigation exercise originating from RAF Wigtown in southern Scotland. The planned route included waypoints such as Eggerness Point, Whithorn, Ballyquinton Point, Bardsey Light, and Chicken Rock before returning to the base. Upon reaching the vicinity of the Isle of Man, the crew elected to return directly to Wigtown rather than continuing the full circuit.
While flying near Ronaldsway, the pilot deviated from the briefed altitude of 2,000 feet by climbing to 3,000 feet to avoid high ground on the direct route back. This maneuver placed the aircraft into icing conditions, resulting in ice accumulation on the airframe. The presiding officer of the court of inquiry suggested that upon encountering the icing, the pilot likely turned back toward Ronaldsway to avoid further terrain while simultaneously descending out of cloud. At the time of the impact, the aircraft was flying southeast and may have been descending too rapidly.
The crash occurred when the aircraft struck the northwestern end of Cronk ny Arrey Laa during a steep climb, possibly an attempt to clear the hillside. The crew consisted of five personnel: the pilot, navigator, air bomber, and two wireless operators. All individuals on board were members of the 1st Air Fighting Unit.
Findings
The court of inquiry concluded that the deviation from the briefed altitude was the primary factor leading to the accident. By climbing to avoid high ground, the aircraft entered icing conditions which compromised its performance. The subsequent maneuvering to avoid terrain while dealing with ice accumulation and cloud cover resulted in a loss of control or insufficient altitude clearance, causing the impact with the hillside.