What happened
The incident occurred shortly after a night takeoff from RAF St Eval. The aircraft was operating on a patrol mission with a crew of seven aboard. During the initial climb phase, the airplane struck an obstacle, which caused it to become unstable. The pilot attempted to return to base but encountered difficulties during the final approach. The aircraft stalled and crashed short of the runway, colliding with a Boeing B-17 registered 42-29647 that was present on the ground.
The impact resulted in fatal casualties for everyone involved. All seven members of the flight crew were killed in the accident. Additionally, seven individuals on the ground lost their lives in the collision with the parked aircraft.
Findings
Official investigations determined that the root cause of the instability was damage sustained during the initial climb. The investigation found that the airplane clipped the tail of the Boeing B-17 while climbing out. This contact damaged the port outer airscrew and engine, leading to the loss of control and subsequent crash.