The aircraft's planned route to Keflavík (Meeks Field) in Iceland should have taken it over Stornoway in the Western Isles, however, for reasons unknown, the aircraft flew instead over the Scottish mainland. Over Wester Ross the aircraft began to lose height and struck the summit of Slioch (), losing parts of its bomb bay doors, before flying on towards Gairloch. An attempted crash-landing resulted in the aircraft colliding with rocks and crashing into the Fairy Lochs, scattering wreckage over a wide area. All 15 crew and passengers on board perished in the accident.