What happened
On the evening of the accident, an aircraft operating as 'Saint Kevin' departed Northolt Airport for Dublin. The flight was carrying a total of twenty-three people, consisting of a crew of three and twenty passengers. During the initial stages of the journey, the flight proceeded without any reported issues as it passed Welshpool.
The flight was being conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). While traversing the Welsh mountains toward the coast near Harlech, the aircraft requested an increase in altitude from Preston Air Traffic Control. The request to climb from 4,500 feet to 6,500 feet was granted, though no specific reason for this change in altitude was provided by the crew.
At approximately 19:12LT, the pilot reported the aircraft's position over Nevin. Shortly thereafter, while operating on the Dublin frequency, the crew requested permission to descend. Although Dublin controllers acknowledged and granted the descent clearance, the aircraft did not acknowledge this instruction. No subsequent radio communications were recorded.
At roughly 19:15LT, the Saint Kevin, a not specified aircraft type, crashed approximately 18 nautical miles north of Nevin Beacon, near the summit of Snowdon. The impact resulted in 23 fatalities.
Findings
Investigators were unable to establish a definitive cause for the crash. However, it was determined that several contributing elements likely played a role, including adverse weather conditions such as turbulence, icing, and cloud cover, alongside the crew's decision-making and situational assessment during the flight.