Air France

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Ajaccio - Nice

MSN:

244

YOM:

1968

Flight number:

AF1611

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

8836

Captain / Total hours on type:

2054.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

4293

Copilot / Total hours on type:

676

Aircraft flight hours:

1001

Aircraft flight cycles:

579

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Ajaccio, the crew started the descent to Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport when the pilot sent a brief mayday message, saying 'fire on board, request urgent landing'. Few second later, the airplane went into a dive and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea some 40 km off Antibes. Few debris were found on water surface and none of the 95 occupants survived the crash.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. At the beginning of the investigations, the board of inquiry reported that the following assumptions were not ruled out: pilot error, fire in the cockpit, aircraft shot down by a surface-to-air missile or the rupture of the hydraulic reservoir. Nevertheless, the aircraft totally disintegrated upon impact with the water surface as it was extremely violent, at a considerable speed and with a high rate of descent. It is believed the loss of control was the consequence of a fire that erupted in the rear part of the cabin, by the right lavatory and galley. Maybe the pilot became incapacitated by fumes but this was not confirmed. About 50 years after the accident, the French government may release some classified documents regarding this tragedy, reinforcing the assumption that the aircraft may have been shut down by a surface-to-air missile fired by the French Navy which was completing local exercises in the area at that time. In 2018, the real cause of this accident remains unclear.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 707-328C on Mt La Soufrière: 63 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1968 at 2032 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BLCJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Santiago de Chile – Caracas – Pointe-à-Pitre – Lisbon – Paris

MSN:

19724

YOM:

1968

Flight number:

AF212

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

18215

Captain / Total hours on type:

4415.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

4737

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1842

Aircraft flight hours:

Circumstances:

Air France Flight 212 was a scheduled service from Santiago (Chile) to Paris (France) with en route stops at Quito (Ecuador), Caracas (Venezuela), Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) and Lisbon (Portugal). The flight was operated by a brand new Boeing 707, named "Château de Lavoûte-Polignac", which had just been delivered to Air France a month and a half before the accident. The aircraft took off from Caracas at 19:27 for an estimated one hour and eight-minute flight to Pointe-à-Pitre on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The aircraft climbed to a cruising altitude of FL330 and the flight crew contacted the Piarco FIR controller at approximately 19:53 hours. They reported flying at FL330 and estimating over Piarco at 20:00, over the OA reporting point at 20:09 and reaching Pointe-à-Pitre at 20:32. At approximately 20:09 the flight reported over OA and requested authorization to descend in five minutes time. Piarco cleared the flight to the Guadeloupe radio beacon at FL90 and asked it to report when leaving FL330 and when reaching FL150. At 20:14, three minutes sooner than planned, the crew reported leaving FL330. Seven minutes later they reported passing FL150. It was then cleared to contact the Guadeloupe ACC and was advised that an aircraft proceeding from Martinique to Guadeloupe was flying at FL80 and estimating Guadeloupe at 20:44 hours. About 20:24 the flight reached the cleared altitude of FL90. After several unsuccessful attempts the flight established radio contact with Pointe-à-Pitre Tower at 20:29. It was again cleared to FL90, given a QNH of 1016 mb and requested to report at FL90, or runway in sight. Following a different route than normal, the airplane passed a brightly lit town (Basse Terre) on the coast of Guadeloupe. The pilot-in-command probably erroneously believed that it was Pointe-à-Pitre and that he would reach Le Raizet Airport in approximately one minute. At 20:29:35 the crew replied that the aircraft was at FL90 and they estimated they would be over the airport in approximately 1-1,5 minute. Less than one minute later they reported seeing the airport and were cleared for a visual approach to runway 11. The aircraft then descended over mountainous terrain and passed Saint Claude at an altitude of approximately 4,400 ft. Flight 212 was observed to impact on the southern slope of La Découverte, the peak of the La Soufrière Volcano, at an elevation of 1,200 m (3,937 ft).

Probable cause:

The accident resulted from a visual approach procedure at night in which the descent as begun from a point which was incorrectly identified. For lack of sufficient evidence (flight recorder was not recovered, condition and location of wreckage), the Commission was not able to establish the sequence of events which led to this crew error.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A in Coulommiers: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1962

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

F-BAOE

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Coulommiers - Coulommiers

MSN:

11769

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew consisting of pilot students and instructors was completing a local training flight at Coulommiers-Voisins Airport, Seine-et-Marne. After rotation, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height and struck a truck with one of its wing. The wing was sheared off and then airplane crashed in a field 450 m past the runway end. Five crew members were killed while three others were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. It was reported that one of the engine was voluntarily shut down by the crew prior to takeoff. Among those killed were:
Mr. Laurent, student pilot,
Mr. Brohan, student pilot,
Mr. Mauger, mechanic,
Mr. Perusseau, instructor and captain by Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux.

Crash of a Boeing 707 in Pointe-à-Pitre: 113 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1962 at 0403 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BHST

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Paris – Lisbon – Santa Maria – Pointe-à-Pitre – Caracas – Bogotá – Lima – Santiago de Chile

MSN:

18247

YOM:

1962

Flight number:

AF117

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

103

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

113

Aircraft flight hours:

963

Circumstances:

While descending to Pointe-à-Pitre on a flight from Paris to Santiago de Chile, the crew encountered poor weather conditions at destination, worse than forecast. On approach by night, the four engine aircraft struck the slope of a hill (427 m) located 25 km northwest of Le Raizet Airport. The aircraft crashed in flames in a dense wooded area and was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. All 113 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the VOR was unserviceable and the approach was possible via an NDB only. Weather conditions were poor with low visibility due to thunderstorm activity in the area. Also, the aircraft was off course by 15 km due to interference on the ADF systems caused by the thunderstorm activity.
Crew:
Mr. Lesieur, pilot,
Mr. Farret, copilot,
Mr. Hurlimann, navigator,
Mr. Pruvost, mechanic,
Mrs. Micoud, stewaradess,
Mrs. D’Horne, stewardess,
Mrs. Page, stewardess,
Mr. Epper, steward,
Mr. Gassler, steward,
Mr. Cage, steward.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- Poor weather conditions at destination, worse than forecast,
- Lack of visibility due to weather combined with the night,
- The VOR of Pointe-à-Pitre was unserviceable at the time of the accident,
- The approach was possible via an NDB only,
- The ADF indications were incorrect due to thunderstorm activity (atmospheric effects), causing the aircraft to be off course by 15 km.

Crash of a Boeing 707-328 in Paris: 130 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1962 at 1234 LT

Type of aircraft:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Operator:

Registration:

F-BHSM

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle

Schedule:

Paris – New York – Atlanta – Houston

MSN:

17920

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

AF007

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

122

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

130

Captain / Total flying hours:

14225

Captain / Total hours on type:

743.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

15194

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1407

Aircraft flight hours:

4491

Circumstances:

The Boeing 707 aircraft, named "Chateau de Sully", was on a non-scheduled (charter) international flight from Paris (ORY) to Atlanta (ATL) and Houston via New York (JFK). Ten crew and 122 passengers were on the flight when, after a considerable delay to await the arrival of passengers, it was cleared to take off from runway 08 at Orly Airport at 11:32 UTC. It aligned itself for takeoff and waited 6 seconds, which permitted the setting and checking of takeoff parameters on the four engines. Full thrust was applied, and the aircraft accelerated normally. From testimony and flight recorder data, the takeoff was reconstructed as follows. Between 20 to 40 seconds after the start of the roll, the rate of acceleration was steady at 1.80 m/s2. The aircraft rolled along the runway centre line without showing any tendency to veer to either side. V1, determined as 147 kt IAS, was attained after a ground roll of 1500 m. This was followed by VR, 158 kt IAS. Forty-eight seconds after the beginning of the takeoff run and approximately when passing the 1800 m mark, the aircraft reached the rotation speed (VR), and the pilot-in-command initiated the takeoff manoeuvre by pulling backwards on the control column. According to witnesses, the aircraft made an incomplete rotational movement about 2100 m from the threshold. It remained for 4 to 6 seconds with its nose slightly raised. Then the nose dropped when the brakes were applied. Thick smoke streamed from the wheels. The aircraft was 2600 m from its starting point and had reached a maximum speed of 179 kt IAS. It braked for the last 680 m of the runway with an average deceleration of 1.2 to 1.3 m/s After 250 m of braking the aircraft veered slightly to the left, and 50deg of flap were selected. Then after another 250 m the aircraft listed heavily to starboard. Its path then curved right, which suggests a possible attempt to ground loop. However, the aircraft's speed precluded the success of this manoeuvre, and it left the runway while still on the centre line. It rolled for a while on the grass extension of the runway but, because of the unevenness of the terrain and the high speed of the aircraft (160 kt), the port gear broke off 110 m from the end of the runway and was wrenched away. The aircraft pivoted left, and engines No. 1 and 2 scraped the ground. Fire broke out in the port wing at the level of the landing gear. About 300 m beyond the end of the runway the aircraft crossed the encircling road. The starboard gear collapsed, and No. 2 engine broke loose. It then struck the approach lights, which represented a considerable obstacle. It started to disintegrate when reaching the hollow at the end of the runway extension, which descends at a steep angle towards the Seine. The front part of the fuselage struck a house and garage. The nose of the aircraft broke away, and the rest of the fuselage came to a stop 100 m further on. The site of the accident was 550 m beyond the end of runway 08 on its extended centre line, at an elevation of 89 m. The airplane was completely destroyed by a post crash fire. Two stewardess who seated in the rear were slightly injured while all 130 other occupants were killed.
Crew members who were killed:
Roland-Paul Hoche, pilot,
Jacques-Marcel Pitoiset, copilot,
Raymond Gautrand, navigator,
Robert-Gaston Barres, mechanic,
Marie-Geneviève Barot, stewardess,
Robert Mancel, cabin chief,
François Gutrupi, steward,
Robert Lugon, steward.

Probable cause:

The accident was due to the concurrence of: 1) a considerable out-of-trim condition producing major loads on the control column at VR and VLOF which may have seemed prohibitive to the pilot-in-command; and 2) a failure of the trim servo motor control system which prevented the pilot-in-command from rectifying the faulty setting of the stabilizer and, consequently, from reducing the reaction at the control column. These factors led the pilot-in-command to discontinue take-off, but it was too late to stop the aircraft on the runway or slow it down sufficiently before the end of the runway.

Final Report:

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE.210 Caravelle III in Rabat: 77 killed

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1961 at 2109 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BJTB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Paris – Rabat – Casablanca

MSN:

YOM:

1961

Flight number:

AF2005

Location:

Rabat

Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer

Country:

Morocco

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10693

Captain / Total hours on type:

344.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3858

Copilot / Total hours on type:

988

Aircraft flight hours:

688

Circumstances:

After a normal flight from Orly Airport, Paris, Flight 2005, Paris-Rabat-Casablanca, reported over the Rabat-Sale Airport, where meteorological conditions were unfavorable owing to thick, low fog which reduced horizontal visibility and ceiling. The pilot reported his intention to attempt a break-through over the non directional beacon; the control tower immediately replied that that facility was not in line with the runway, but the message was not acknowledged. The aircraft crashed to the ground at 2109 hours GMT. The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact and the fire which followed.
Crew:
Mr. Seaume, pilot,
Mr. Simeoni, copilot,
Mr. Nicora, mechanic,
Mrs. Metenier, stewardess,
Mr. Duhamel, steward,
Mr. Jacomon, steward.

Probable cause:

In the opinion of the board of inquiry of all the theories listed above, those related related to material failure appear the least likely. On the other hand, the theory regarding an error in instrument reading appears more probable than the others. Therefore, the Board explained the failure:
1) by the fact that reading of the Kollsman window altimeter, with which this Caravelle was equipped, may be delicate, as demonstrated by some systematic tests carried out by highly trained crews of various European airlines ;
2) by the possibility that the pilot made that error of 1,000 feet at the beginning of the descent, retaining it, then gave his full attention to reading the pointer, which seemed to him to be of prime importance, in order to bring in the aircraft at the minimum authorized altitude.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 707-328 in Hamburg

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1961 at 1620 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BHSA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Hamburg-Helmut-Schmidt (Fuhlsbüttel)

Schedule:

Paris – Hambourg – Anchorage – Tokyo

MSN:

17613

YOM:

1959

Flight number:

AF272

Location:

Hamburg

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

14000

Captain / Total hours on type:

401.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

8000

Copilot / Total hours on type:

960

Aircraft flight hours:

3978

Aircraft flight cycles:

1080

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll on runway 23, at a speed of 120 knots, the captain noted the aircraft was turning slightly to the left and was unable to counteract. As a result, he decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and attempted an emergency braking maneuver. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a field located 140 meters the runway end, broken in three. Four crew members and six passengers were seriously injured while 31 other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it was reported that a valve on the engine number two remained closed, causing the reverse system to deploy on that engine and the deviation of path during the takeoff procedure.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-1649 Starliner near Ghadames: 78 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1961 at 0112 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-1649 Starliner

Operator:

Registration:

F-BHBM

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Brazzaville – Bangui – Fort Lamy – Marseille – Paris

MSN:

1027

YOM:

1957

Flight number:

AF406

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising by night at an altitude of 20,000 feet vertical to the Sahara Desert, the airplane disintegrated in the air and crashed in a desert area located in the east part of Algeria, at the border with Libya. The crew was unable to send any distress call. The debris were scattered on a wide area between Ghadamès (Libya) and Zarzaïtine, Algeria. All 78 occupants were killed in the crash.
Crew:
Mr. Bouchier, pilot,
Mr. Best, copilot,
Mr. Baylion, navigator,
Mr. Guntz, radio operator,
Mr. Gambart de Lignières, mechanic,
Mr. Burgaut, mechanic,
Mrs. Chiapolino, stewardess,
Mr. Eichelberger, steward,
Mr. Pasqueron, steward.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the probable cause of the accident was an act of sabotage with the denotation of a nitrocellulose explosive device. The reasons and the authors of this act remains unknown.

Crash of a Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation off Dakar: 63 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1960 at 0647 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BHBC

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Paris – Dakar – Monrovia – Abidjan

MSN:

4622

YOM:

1955

Flight number:

AF343

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

20068

Copilot / Total flying hours:

7192

Aircraft flight hours:

16417

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way from Paris-Orly to Abidjan with intermediate stops at Dakar and Monrovia. While approaching Dakar just before sunset, the crew started an approach to runway 01 after declining an ILS approach to runway 30. The approach was abandoned due to low visibility caused by poor weather conditions and the captain decided to follow a holding pattern, waiting for an improvement of the weather conditions. Shortly after 0641LT, the crew started a second attempt to land on runway 01 but after reporting downwind at 0647LT, the airplane disappeared in a rain squall and crashed into the sea some 2,400 meters off the Mamelles lighthouse. The airplane sank by a depth of 40 meters and few debris and dead bodies were found about two hours later. All 63 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lucien Boirre, pilot,
Jean Roze, copilot,
Eugène Schuller, radio operator,
Jean-Camille Baty, mechanic,
Louis Meleder, mechanic,
Geneviève Sabourin, stewardess,
François Quiret, steward,
Albert-Émile Guepratte, steward.

Probable cause:

Due to lack of evidences and to the fact that the aircraft was not equipped with flight recording systems, investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-1-DK in Poitiers

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1959

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BAII

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site: