What happened
On 30 April 1990, a Shackleton AEW2, registration WR965, departed from RAF Lossiemouth to engage in maritime exercises near Benbecula, Scotland. The mission was structured in two segments, with the crew intending to perform authorized continuation training during a scheduled interval between exercises. While the forecast for the primary operating area was clear, localized areas of low cloud and reduced visibility were present along the Scottish coast.
Following the first phase of the sortie, the crew engaged in mutual training with a Tornado F3 at approximately 09:45 UTC, which necessitated setting the aircraft's radar to standby. After this, the crew began training maneuvers that included a planned visual approach to Benbecula airfield. At 10:25 UTC, the crew notified Benbecula Air Traffic Control that they were positioned roughly 20 miles west of the airfield and requested approach clearance. However, later investigations revealed that the aircraft was actually located 15 miles north of the position reported to controllers.
At 10:30 UTC, RAF personnel observed the aircraft orbiting an island approximately 12 miles north of the airfield. Shortly after, at 10:34 UTC, the crew informed Air Traffic Control that weather conditions were unsuitable for their approach and that they were initiating a right turn and a climb. At approximately 10:37 UTC, the aircraft struck terrain about 30 feet below the summit of an 823-foot hill on the Isle of Harris. At the moment of impact, the aircraft was in controlled flight with all four engines producing cruise power.
Findings
- The aircraft was significantly north of its reported position during the approach request.
- Local cloudbase was recorded at 200 feet above mean sea level, while cloud tops reached 3000 feet.
- The aircraft was operating in a state of controlled flight with all engines functioning normally prior to impact.