What happened
The incident involved a military aircraft operating out of RAF Yatesbury. The plane was engaged in a specific wireless training mission when the accident occurred. At the time of the event, there were six personnel aboard the machine, consisting of the pilot and five other crew members assigned to various roles including wireless operators and aircrew.
During the flight, the aircraft encountered an obstruction in the form of a barrage balloon cable. The collision with this cable rendered the plane uncontrollable, leading to a crash at Wiggins Field, located near Horton. The impact was severe enough that all six crew members were killed in the event. No survivors were reported from the incident.
Findings
The official investigation identified the direct cause of the accident as the physical interaction between the aircraft and the defensive infrastructure. Specifically, the crash resulted from the aircraft striking the cable supporting a barrage balloon. This collision was determined to be the primary factor leading to the loss of control and subsequent impact with the ground.