Nord 2501 Noratlas

Struck a mountain near Miliana while cruising by night, killing all crew members.

While performing a liaison flight, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field located in Eschau, about 10 km south of Strasbourg. Both crew members were killed. Severe icing conditions were reported in the area at the time of the accident.
Crew:
Cpt Jean Ratel,
Adj René Thibault.

The aircraft was performing a flight from Algiers to Mont-de-Marsan Airbase, carrying nine crew members from the Center of Experimentation at Mont-de-Marsan and two SNECMA employees. While cruising by night over the Pyrénées Mountains, the airplane hit the south slope of the Costabonne Peak, on the Spanish territory. The wreckage was found by Spanish rescuers a week later, on January 5, 1954, about 5 km northeast of Setcases. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and all 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cdt André Auffret,
Cpt Roger Kerrien,
Cpt Jean Tassa,
Lt André Jean Bordes,
Lt André Delsahut,
Adj André Valy,
Sgt Pierre Castera,
Sgt Henri Latreille,
Sgt Louis Pasquinelli.
Passengers:
Georges Le Minor,
Jean Savean.

The aircraft, second prototype of the Noratlas, was taking part to the National Airshow in Lyon-Bron Airport, carrying six crew members and one passenger, the famous French aviator Maryse Bastié. After takeoff, the pilot-in-command completed a circuit around the airport and started the approach at low height with one engine voluntarily inoperative, passed over the runway 34 and made a candle. The airplane climbed to a height of 200 meters then stalled and crashed in flames. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Georges Penninckx, pilot,
Étienne Griès, radio navigator,
Albert Tisseur, mechanic,
Alcide Le Quien, technician,
Pierre Landeau, technician,
Jean-Louis Frignac, technician.
Passenger:
Maryse Bastié.