What happened
During a joint training operation involving the 120th Squadron and the British submarine HMS Sirdar, an aircraft went down in the ocean approximately 11 miles from Berwick-upon-Tweed. The flight had departed from RAF Scampton to participate in a coordinated maritime exercise.
While performing low-level maneuvers to simulate an aerial strike, the pilot-in-command executed a sharp turn. During this maneuver, the aircraft entered a stall and impacted the water surface. Of the occupants on board, 11 fatalities were recorded, while the two pilots managed to be rescued from the scene.
Findings
Investigations into the accident indicated that the aircraft was traveling at an inadequate speed during the final turn, which led to the aerodynamic stall. Furthermore, it was determined that the altitude of the aircraft at the moment of the stall provided insufficient margin for recovery before impact.