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Seine-Maritime

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Le Havre: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1940 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R3152
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Marham at 2115LT on May 21 on a bombing mission over Dinant. While approaching Le Havre, the bomber went out of control and crashed for unknown reason. All six occupants were killed.
Crew (115th Squadron):
P/O Douglas W. W. Morris, pilot,
Sgt Francis Williams, pilot,
Sgt Francis A. G. Lowe, observer,
LAC Harold G. Griffin, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC2 Thomas Kennedy, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC2 Allen Robinson, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Le Tréport

Date & Time: May 12, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
L4068
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton on a bombing mission over Mönchengladbach. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Le Tréport. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all four crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
P/O Drakes,
P/O Fox,
Sgt Fennell,
AC1 Watson.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth off Le Havre

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1936
Registration:
G-ABWA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Villacoublay – Lympne
MSN:
2229
YOM:
1932
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in the Seine estuary, off Le Havre, while on a flight from Villacoublay to Lympne, Kent. The pilot was rescued while the aircraft was salvaged but later declared as damaged beyond repair. The airplane was carrying a load of jewelry from Spanish Nationalist refugees.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford IIA off Le Havre: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1936 at 0330 LT
Operator:
Registration:
K4034
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Boscombe Down - Boscombe Down
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Boscombe Down on a night training exercice. While cruising over The Channel in marginal weather conditions, the crew reported he was low on fuel and that he was trying to find a suitable terrain for landing. In limited visibility due to fog, the captain eventually attempted to ditch the airplane when it crashed 200 metres off Sainte-Adresse, in th suburb of Le Havre. A crew member was rescued while three others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Walter Job, †
AC1 Cyril Adolphus Tregannon Bickham, †
AC2 William Watkin, †
F/O Robert Humphrey Page.

Crash of a Spartan Cruiser I off Le Tréport

Date & Time: May 11, 1935
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-ABTY
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
24M
YOM:
1932
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Croydon, carrying two crew members and a load of newspapers. While overflying The Channel, all three engines lost power. The pilot reduced his altitude and elected to ditch the aircraft some 13 km northwest of Le Tréport. Both occupants were quickly rescued by the crew of a fishing vessel and the aircraft sank five minutes after they got rescued.
Probable cause:
Power loss on all three engine for undetermined reasons.

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

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1935 at 0315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ALHQ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
7243.2
YOM:
1931
Country:
Region:
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 Wibault 282T.12 off Dieppe: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1934 at 1220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-AMHP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
8
YOM:
1933
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1115LT on a schedule service to Croydon, carrying three passengers and three crew members. While cruising over The Channel, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility due to fog. The pilot reduced his altitude in an attempt to maintain a visual contact with the water surface when the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Croydon, SAR operations were initiated by British and French Authorities. Nine days later, on May 18, the dead body of a passenger was found on a beach in Fort-Mahon, Manche. Also, few debris and some mail were later recovered on several beaches of the area. The wreckage was never found. It is believed that the airplane may have crashed about 15 km north of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime.
Crew:
François Cannet, pilot,
Joseph Ollier, radio navigator,
Myles Murphy, steward.
Passengers:
Comte de Neuville,
Mr. Guichard,
Arthur Louis Fraissard.
Probable cause:
Due to the lack of evidences, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined.

Crash of a Farman F.63bis Goliath in Campneuseville: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1927 at 1900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
B-9
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Chartres – Saint-Inglevert
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route from Chartres to Saint-Inglevert, the crew encountered foggy conditions. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in an open field when the aircraft impacted ground, crashed and came to rest upside down. Four crew members evacuated safely while the pilot, Lt Gaymard, was killed.

Crash of a Blériot Spad 27 near Dieppe

Date & Time: Jun 8, 1921
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-CMAV
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris - Croydon
MSN:
1252
YOM:
1920
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a mail flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Croydon. While flying in the region of Dieppe, he encountered low visibility due to foggy conditions. At a too low altitude, the airplane impacted trees with one of its wings, stalled and crashed in the Arques forest. While the pilot was seriously injured, the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.18 in Airgueil

Date & Time: May 13, 1921
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G-EAUF
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
3
YOM:
1920
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was attempting to make a forced landing and the aircraft ended up on its back, completely wrecked near the edge of a large field 1,5 km north of Argueil. Marks on the ground and the nature of the country indicate that the pilot stalled the machine in attempting to land across a sunken road with insufficient flying speed. The pilot stated that his left wing dropped and he could not get it up again. From marks on the ground, the wing had apparently not touched the ground until the undercarriage collapsed, after which the machine turned over onto its back. The pilot was Captain H. W. Chataway.