What happened
During an approach to St Mawgan (Newquay) Airport, the crew encountered deteriorating weather conditions. A failure of the radio compass prevented a safe landing at the intended destination, prompting the decision to divert to Exeter. Shortly after initiating the diversion, the four-engine aircraft collided with the slope of a hill near Bodmin Moor. The impact caused the plane to come to rest in flames. All nine occupants sustained injuries during the accident, and the airframe was written off.
Findings
The official investigation identified several contributing factors to the terrain collision. These included the initial radio compass failure, poor weather conditions, low visibility, and a wrong altimeter setting used by part of the crew.