Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 45 (451-459)

Operator:

Registration:

L-1027

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Birskra - Teleghma

MSN:

491

YOM:

1942

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The airplane departed Biskra at 0835LT to transfer two US officers to Teleghma Airbase. Passing over Batna, the airplane entered clouds and the pilot was flying about 100 metres below the surrounding mountains. While cruising 11 km northwest of Batna, the airplane impacted trees and crashed on the slope of Pic des Cèdres, in the Djebel Tuggurt. The airplane disintegrated on impact and was destroyed by a post crash fire. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Henri Aimé César Lamy, pilot,
Lt Jean Paul Alfred Duballe, navigator,
Adj/C Roland Briault, radio operator,
Adj Jean Maxime Breton, mechanic,
Sgt Gaby André Signoret, air gunner.
Passengers:
Cpt Joe Walling Boone,
Sgt Lester M. Larsen.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain. It is believed that the pilot may have seen the obstacle at the last moment as the airplane impacted the mountain in a significant nose-up attitude.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 in Khemis Miliana

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1943 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

L-842

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Agadir - Marrakech - Khemis Miliana

MSN:

306

YOM:

1940

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Agadir on a flight to Khemis Miliana with an intermediate stop in Marrakech. There were six passengers and four crew members on board. Four minutes prior to arrival at Khemis Miliana Airfield, the left engine lost power and failed. The pilot feathered the propeller and continued the approach. On short final at a height of 400 metres, he was unable to lower the landing gear so he took the decision to complete a belly landing. The airplane slid on the ground for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All 10 occupants evacuated safely and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Lt Hegly, pilot,
Sgt/C Brouquier, mechanic,
Lt Doubouy, observer,
Sgt Vial D'Alais, radio operator.

Probable cause:

Upon departure from Marrakech, a total of 2,700 liters of fuel was embarked, 1,600 liters in the main tanks, 800 liters in the rear auxiliary tanks and 300 liters in the front auxiliary tanks. It was determined that the fuel switch was on the wrong position when the engine lost power.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 in Aïn Sefra

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1943 at 1600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

L-936

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

400

YOM:

1942

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a mail flight on behalf of GB 1/11 for the French troops based in Algeria. Following a normal takeoff, the crew lowered the landing gear when the right engine lost power. The engine speed dropped to 1,200 rpm and the fuel pressure failed to zero. At a height of 3-4 metres, the airplane rolled slightly to the right. The pilot-in-command regained control and performed a belly landing. The airplane slid for about 60 metres before coming to rest. All five crew members were rescued, among them four were injured. The airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt Paul Joseph François Gridelet, pilot,
Sgt Jean Baraton, mechanic,
Sgt Vincent Castello, radio operator,
Lt Paul Flèche, chief,
Sgt Dominique Biaggi, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Loss of power on the right engine after takeoff consecutive to a failure of the fuel pressure.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 at Istres AFB: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

L-851

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Istres - Istres

MSN:

315

YOM:

1940

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The airplane was completing an exercise at Istres-Le Tubé AFB when it crashed in unknown circumstances in Vergières located north of the airbase. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Adj/C André Schirman,
Adj/C Joseph Beck,
Sgt Bernard Perrey,
Sgt André Frachez-Charlot.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 in Salon-de-Provence: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 21, 1940

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Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

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Shortly after takeoff from Salon-de-Provence, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Auguste Marie Gabriel Merceur, pilot,
Adj/C Jean Guarneri, observer,
Sgt/C Hubert Pierre Joquel, mechanic.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 in Bordeaux: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1940 at 1730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Illegal (smuggling)

Survivors:

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The crew refused to be interned and wanted to continue to fight. As four LeO 45 (n°157, 169, 181 & 190) were parked at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the crew stole one of them to reach the front line. One of the crew took his bicycle with him but as it was not properly stored in the cabin, it shifted rearward upon liftoff, causing the elevator system to be jammed. The pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in a wooded area just past the runway end, bursting into flames. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Paul Michel Jean-Louis André, pilot,
Adj Jean Baptiste Pierre Lucien Chavy, pilot,
Sgt Jean Georges René Cavalié, mechanic.
Passenger:
Asp François Joseph Jean Jacques Ducreuzet.

Probable cause:

Elevator control jammed.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 in Monthaut: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

L-581

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bussac-Forêt - Perpignan

MSN:

YOM:

1939

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The airplane departed a military camp in Bussac-Forêt to be transferred to Perpignan-La Llabanere. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. The airplane apparently lost a wing then entered a dive and crashed in a hilly terrain. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Adj Lucien Henri Robert Coiffier, pilot,
Sgt/C Roger Pierre Bertrand, observer,
Sgt/C Raymond Eugène Emmanuel Chrétien, air gunner.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 in Miramas: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

3011

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Saint-Yan - Istres

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While approaching Istres AFB following a bombing mission over Torino, Italy, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Miramas. Three crew members were injured and Cpl/C Jean Pierre Marie Diguet, air gunner, was killed.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 451 in Til-Châtel

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1940 at 1040 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

L-811

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site: