A fire in one of the engines caused the emergency that brought the airplane down.

It was a violent ditching and as the pilot got out he saw a couple of yellow objects floating nearby, making him believe that all the crew members had been able to come out, so he swam in the direction of three fishing boats that were nearby. Only latter he understood that the yellow objects were the kapok pillows and cushions from the seats.

The bodies of the dead were recovered inside the sunken fuselage, four days later by local divers. The forensics showed that all three had died on impact having been badly injuried in the heads.

The dead were transported to Faro where the local priest called the entire population in order to make a dignifying funeral. Hundreds of persons appeared in the church, the Igreja da Misericórdia.

Faterwards the bodies were taken to Lisbon and buried in the British Cemetery.

The two survivors  were taken to North Africa by boat on August 2, 1943.