What happened
During a scheduled mission traveling from Luqa to RAF Dishforth, with a planned stop at RAF Lyneham, the aircraft encountered critical issues during its initial climb. While performing the departure for the 242nd OCU, the crew notified ground personnel of an engine malfunction. In an attempt to execute an emergency landing back at the departure airfield, the aircraft lost sufficient airspeed and entered a stall.
The subsequent impact occurred in a nearby field, resulting in the total destruction of the airframe. There were ten fatalities recorded among the occupants, which included seven cadets.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed that while an engine failure did occur following takeoff, the crew's response contributed to the loss of control. Specifically, the crew shut down the incorrect engine and feathered the wrong propeller. This error led to a critical loss of power, which ultimately caused the aircraft to stall and crash.