What happened
During a local training flight operating on behalf of the 15th Squadron, an aircraft was conducting approach maneuvers out of RAF Coningsby. As the crew prepared for their initial final approach, they encountered unfavorable weather conditions. In response to the visibility or weather constraints, the pilot-in-command initiated a go-around to abandon the landing attempt.
A subsequent effort to land was also unsuccessful and resulted in another aborted approach. During a third attempt to touch down, the aircraft descended too low and struck a field situated in Horncastle, approximately 6 miles north of the departure airbase. The impact caused the total destruction of the aircraft.
The accident resulted in five fatalities and two injuries. Additionally, five members of the crew escaped the wreckage without injury.
Findings
- The primary factor leading to the crash was that the aircraft was at an insufficient altitude during the third landing attempt.