What happened
During a flight from Gan AFB in the Maldivian Islands toward Singapore-Changi Airport, the crew of the aircraft type encountered a critical mechanical failure while cruising at 9,000 feet over the Indian Ocean. The crew notified air traffic control that the number four engine propeller had experienced an overspeed and that they were unable to feather the blades.
Shortly after this notification, a fire erupted in the fourth engine, which subsequently detached from the wing. In an effort to perform an emergency landing, the pilot began a descent; however, the aircraft lost controllability during the maneuver. The plane entered an uncontrolled descent, resulting in the airframe breaking into three separate sections before impacting the ocean surface.
Six hours after the impact, personnel from the frigate HMS Ajax reached the crash site. Search and rescue efforts managed to recover three survivors, but the accident resulted in eight fatalities among the crew members on board.
Findings
An official determination regarding the precise cause of the accident was not possible due to a lack of available evidence. Investigators did not rule out the possibility that a ruptured fuel line triggered the engine fire.