What happened
The aircraft was en route from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire to Schilling AFB in Salina, Kansas, with a scheduled stopover at Keflavik. While traversing Scottish airspace at an altitude of 8,500 feet, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions and requested authorization from air traffic control to ascend to 14,400 feet. Shortly after this request, while traveling at a speed of 500 km/h, the four-engine aircraft impacted the slope of Stob na Boine Druim-fhinn mountain. The crash site was located two miles northwest of Lochgoilhead. The impact forces and subsequent post-crash fire destroyed the airframe, killing all 20 occupants on board.
Findings
Investigations did not establish a definitive cause for the accident with absolute certainty. However, authorities noted that the hypothesis suggesting loss of control due to heavy icing conditions was not ruled out as a contributing factor.