What happened
The incident occurred during a night descent to Prestwick Airport. While on final approach to runway 32, the captain encountered strong winds and initiated a go-around, subsequently entering a holding pattern. After receiving clearance, the crew began an approach to runway 26. The aircraft, a four-engine model named 'Nijmegen', entered patches of fog during the final phase. The pilot reported on the radio that they had hit something and requested altitude. Shortly after this transmission, the aircraft crashed in flames into a field located 5 km short of the runway threshold.
Findings
The official investigation determined that weather conditions at the time of the landing maneuver for runway 26 were below standard limits, although this was not apparent from available forecasts or personal judgment at the moment. The pilot was not blamed for commencing the procedure under those known conditions. However, it was concluded that flying too long on the downwind leg of runway 26 caused the accident. This extension was attributed to a delayed action by the pilot after losing visual reference, potentially exacerbated by stronger winds than anticipated. Other unknown circumstances could not be entirely ruled out but lacked supporting data.