What happened
The incident involved a training mission conducted by the General Reconnaissance School. The aircraft departed from RAF Leuchars and proceeded to fly over the North Sea. While operating approximately 144 km east of Dundee, radar contact with the airframe was lost. Subsequent investigations confirmed that the machine crashed into the sea.
Search and rescue operations were immediately initiated to locate the wreckage and survivors. However, after several days of intensive efforts, these operations were suspended. No trace of the aircraft or any members of the crew was recovered during the search period.