The remains of this aircraft are designated as a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. For further information on this Act and its administration with regard to aircraft, please contact the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1RZ.

Many small pieces remain, but the main parts of the fuselage were recovered by the authorities.

Event and Historical Information:
On 11 February 1966, this Vulcan belonging to 9 Squadron took off from RAF Cottesmore, Rutland. The first part of the flight was to be conducted at high level before descending towards the Bristol Channel for a low level stage through Wales and over the Irish Sea to perform a practice low level attack against RAF West Freugh in south west Scotland and then returning at medium level to Cottesmore. The weather forecast for the low level section was for a solid layer of low cloud from 2,000 feet and further scattered cloud below this with some light snow showers, visibility was forecast to be up to 4 miles, but falling to as little as 50 yards in hill fog. XH536 began its descent from 40,000ft over the English Channel heading north across Devon to 1,500ft over the Bristol Channel by which time they were below the low cloud. The aircraft turned onto a north easterly heading over Resolven in the Vale of Neath and was seen below the cloud following the valley before turning slightly to port to try and follow the Lila valley to reach the Senni valley beyond. It would appear that at this point, while flying at around 450mph in poor visibility, the crew had misidentified the Lila valley and had flown up the Fechan valley just over 1 mile to the west. On reaching the head of the valley they turned to starboard expecting to flying over the centre of the Senni valley, however having flown up the wrong valley the aircraft was over the high ground. The investigation which followed the incident found that the aircraft had struck the hill some 70 feet below the summit of the ridge of Fan Bwlch Chwyth with the wings virtually level and with a slight nose up attitude. The heavier pieces of the aircraft, the four Olympus engines and under-carriage had broken free and travelled the furthest from the point of impact. Both main under-carriage oleos had cleared the wall which crosses the northern end of the hill just above the then active quarry. The crewmen killed were Graham Howard Sutcliffe, Flying Officer, Pilot; John Donald MacDonald, Flight Lieutenant, Pilot (Aircraft Captain); Roger Clare, Flight Lieutenant, Navigator Radar; Brian Waring, Flight Lieutenant, Navigator Plotter; and Geoffrey Edward Fuller, Flight Lieutenant, Air Electronics Officer.

Sources include:
Brecon Beacons National Park, 1995, Identification Guide Aircraft Crashes in the National Park, ID 8
Doylerush, E, 2008, Rocks in the Cloud: High-Ground Aircraft Crashes in South Wales, pg19-20 and 107
Pers. Com. Nigel Corrigan, 22 January 2015.

WWW resources:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/wales.htm
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/SPVA/AviationArchaeology.htm

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, January 2015.