The Hastings departed RAF Katunayake at 17:34 for a flight over the Indian Ocean to RAF Gan in the Maldives. Weather near Gan was poor with heavy rain and thunderstorm. The first approach was abandoned and the pilot decided to hold for 20 minutes, hoping the storm would pass. During the second approach a lightning flash blinded the pilots, during which the aircraft descended to a height just above the sea. The aircraft then hit the sea and crashed. PROBABLE CAUSE: “A) Having descended below his calculated break off level of 420 ft. and losing visual contact with runway due to lightning flashes and rain, he failed to take immediate overshoot action. B) In the meteorological conditions prevailing, he failed to make a standard bad weather circuit on established instrument approach. Instead he made a very long low approach to land in marginal weather conditions, and failed to have navigator co-relate Eureka range with L.(?) readings. Causal conditions were (1) Pilot fatigue and (2) Impairment of vision by rain.”