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Crash of a Wibault 283.T12 in Albine: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1936 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Wibault 282/283
Operator:
Registration:
F-ANBL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Paris – Toulouse – Dakar – Natal – Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
15
YOM:
1934
Location:
Albine
Tarn
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 0245LT on a mail flight to Rio de Janeiro with intermediate stops in Toulouse, Dakar and Natal. Around 0545LT, the crew informed ATC about his position between Toulouse and Perpignan. Shortly later, the three engine airplane named 'L'Aventureux' impacted the slope of a mountain located near Albine. The pilot of a French Air Force fighter localized the wreckage at 1430LT at an altitude of 1,000 metres. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Gaston Génin, pilot,
Roger Savary, copilot,
Albert Aubert, radio navigator.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier H-242 into the Mediterranean Sea: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 8, 1936 at 0800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-242
Operator:
Registration:
F-ANQG
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Marseille – Algiers
MSN:
10
YOM:
1936
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While overflying the Mediterranean Sea, the crew encountered engine problems and was forced to ditch the aircraft some 80 km off Algiers. The aircraft landed smoothly and the crew sent a mayday message, reporting his position. Four hours later, the crew of the ship named 'El Biar' arrived on scene and was able to evacuate seven people. Unfortunately, a passenger, Mr. Bergerot (senator and businessmen in Algiers) drowned. The four engine aircraft (two push-pull engines) named 'Ville de Nice' was later towed by the French tugboat named 'Colonel Casse' but sank and was lost.
Crew:
Laurent Guerrero, pilot +3.
Probable cause:
All four engines stopped en route because the flight engineer inadvertently closed the fuel supply system.

Crash of a Latécoère 301 into the Atlantic Ocean: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 10, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Latécoère 301
Operator:
Registration:
F-AOIK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Paris – Marseille – Dakar – Natal – Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
01/1016
YOM:
1935
Location:
Atlantic Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The float plane named 'Ville de Buenos Aires' disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean while en route from Dakar to Natal. The crew sent a message around 1100 (Natal time) reporting he was flying in a stormy weather but that all was OK on board. This was the last message. No trace of the aircraft nor the occupant was ever found.
Crew:
Jean Ponce, pilot,
André Parayre, copilot,
Frédéric Marret, radio navigator,
Alexandre Collenot, engineer,
Jean Lhôtellier, navigator.
Passenger:
Émile Barrière, Director of Air France for South America.

Crash of a CAMS 53/1 off Ajaccio: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1936 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
CAMS 53
Operator:
Registration:
F-AJIR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Marseille – Ajaccio – Tunis
MSN:
19
YOM:
1929
Location:
Ajaccio
Corse-du-Sud
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While approaching Ajaccio, the crew sent a short mayday message, reporting a power plant failure. The float plane went out of control and crashed into the sea, few km offshore. All six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Edmond Larbonne, pilot,
Laurent Caillebotte, radio navigator,
Robert Juge, engineer.
Probable cause:
Engine failure on approach.

Crash of a CAMS 53/1 off Ajaccio

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1935
Type of aircraft:
CAMS 53
Operator:
Registration:
F-AJZX
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Algiers – Ajaccio – Marseille
MSN:
26
YOM:
1930
Location:
Ajaccio
Corse-du-Sud
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Ajaccio, the float plane crashed in unknown circumstances in the harbor of Ajaccio. All six occupants were rescued while the aircraft named 'Saintonge' was lost.

Crash of a Potez 62.0 in Auxerre

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1935
Type of aircraft:
Potez 62 (62.0 & 62.1)
Operator:
Registration:
F-ANPH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Marseille – Lyon – Paris
MSN:
3845/2
YOM:
1935
Location:
Auxerre
Yonne
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising over the Morvan Mountains, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with snow falls and icing. The right engine failed, most probably due to icing, so the captain decided to divert to Auxerre Airport. On approach, the left engine failed as well. Aware he was unable to reach the airport, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in a snow covered field located few km short of runway. The airplane named 'Cormoran' landed hard then slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All seven occupants evacuated safely and were able to unload all mail bags and cargo when 15 minutes later, a fire erupted and consumed the aircraft that was totally destroyed.
Crew:
Mr. Chovard, pilot,
Mr. Doussemain, radio navigator,
Mr. Berbruck, flight engineer,
Mr. Lachance, steward.
Probable cause:
Engine failure caused by icing.

Crash of a Latécoère 28-1 near Istres: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1935
Type of aircraft:
Latécoère 28
Operator:
Registration:
F-AJPB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Marseille - Barcelona
MSN:
926
YOM:
1930
Location:
Istres-Le Tubé
Bouches-du-Rhône
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a mail flight from Marseille to Barcelona, carrying three crew members and mail. Prior to departure from Marseille, the crew was instructed to make an intermediate stop at Lézignan-Corbières Airport to pick other mail bags. Few minutes after takeoff, while cruising south of Istres, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulences. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in an open field. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Pierre Lemoine, pilot,
Marcel Lhuillier, copilot,
Louis Gauthe, radio navigator.

Crash of a Latécoère 28-1 off Aracaju: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1935
Type of aircraft:
Latécoère 28
Operator:
Registration:
F-AJIQ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Santiago de Chile – Buenos Aires – Rio de Janeiro – Salvador – Natal – Dakar – Paris
MSN:
906
YOM:
1929
Location:
Aracaju
Sergipe
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After departure from Salvador de Bahia, the crew confirmed by radio that all was going well on board. Few dozen minutes later, while cruising off Aracaju, the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. A day later, SAR teams found some debris floating on water as well as four dead bodies.
Crew:
André Depecker, pilot,
Joseph Le Duigou, radio navigator,
Auguste Morel, flight engineer,
Fernand Clavere, navigator.

Crash of a Farman F.306 in Brémontier-Merval: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1935 at 0315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Farman F.306
Operator:
Registration:
F-ALHQ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
7243.2
YOM:
1931
Location:
Brémontier-Merval
Seine-Maritime
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
8000
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 0030LT on this inaugural night cargo flight to Croydon, carrying one pilot, one radio navigator and one passenger. While cruising between the cities of Beauvais and Rouen, the pilot encountered foggy conditions. He decided to reduce his altitude and to return to Paris. Few minutes later, too low, the airplane impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located in Brémontier-Merval, some 9 km northwest of Gournay-en-Bray. All three occupants were seriously injured and the pilot died from his injuries few hours later.
Crew:
Robert Bajac, Air France Chief Pilot, †
Jean Floret, radio navigator.
Passenger:
Jean Flitcroft, Air France Chief of Operations.
Probable cause:
One year after the accident, the French commission headed by General de Goÿs concluded that the crash was not caused by a crew mistake but by the aircraft which was hard to manage and unstable in flight. This commission also said that French Authorities gave permission to Air France to still operate this aircraft despite its known technical deficiencies.

Crash of a CAMS 53/2 off Santa Maria di Leuca

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1935 at 1350 LT
Type of aircraft:
CAMS 53
Operator:
Registration:
F-ALCF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Saigon – Yangon – Akyab – Calcutta – Allahabad – Agra – Basra – Cairo – Benghazi – Kerky - Naples – Marseille
MSN:
30
YOM:
1931
Location:
Santa Maria di Leuca
Apulia
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Kerkyra to Naples, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with snow falls. The captain decided to ditch the airplane in the Ionian Sea some 50 km southeast of Santa Maria di Leuca, Apulia. All six occupants were rescued by the crew of the Italian ship named 'Paganini' while the aircraft sank and was lost.
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