Incident
Shortly after takeoff from RAF Marham, during the initial climb, the crew noticed a fuel leak on the right wing of the aircraft. The decision was made to return to the airfield for an emergency landing. Visibility was limited due to poor weather conditions, and the pilot-in-command was forced to complete the approach using only the radio compass as a reference, as there were no air traffic control or ground navigation aids available at that time. During a final turn to align with the runway approach path, the aircraft lost altitude and crashed in a field located approximately five miles northeast of RAF Marham. Four crew members were killed, and four others sustained injuries.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was that the filler cap on the right fuel tank had been incorrectly replaced after refueling. This led to fuel flowing out of the tank after takeoff, resulting in the fuel leak observed by the crew.