Avord AFB | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew departed Avord AFB, near Bourges, for a training mission. In the afternoon, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Bossay-sur-Claise. All four occupants were killed.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P-4 at Avord AFB: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Avord - Avord

MSN:

2954

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances after takeoff from Avord AFB. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Hans Ziegler,
Hans Czapp.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Widned: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

G1+OP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Avord - Avord

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Avord on an operation to England. It was shot down by the pilot of a British fighter and crashed on the Fisher and More High School. Two crew members were killed and three others became PoW. There were no casualties on the ground.
Crew:
Obfw Karl Single, pilot,
Hptm Wolfgang Berlin, observer,
Uffz Xavier Diem, radio operator,
Fw Leonhard Kutznik, mechanic, †
Fw Heinrich Ludwinski, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Bloch MB.210 at Avord AFB. 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1940 at 0215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bloch MB.210

Operator:

Registration:

E-439

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Avord - Avord

MSN:

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after a night takeoff from Avord AFB, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. In limited visibility due to mist, it collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area located in Farges-en-Septaine, near the airfield. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/Lt Pierre André Dumon, pilot,
S/Lt Philémon Augustin Léon Dupont, pilot,
Sgt/C Louis Robert Raoul Castelnau, radio operator,
Sgt Pierre Marie Louis Chalte, air gunner.

Crash of an Amiot 354 near Châlons-en-Champagne

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Amiot 354

Operator:

Registration:

I-077

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Avord - Avord

MSN:

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Avord in the evening of June 12 to attack a German column moving in the area of Châlons-en-Champagne. Approaching the target, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in an open field. All four crew members evaded, one was injured.
Crew:
Lt Decamp, pilot,
Sgt Puivif, pilot,
Sgt Armanet, radio operator,
Adj Bordenet, air gunner.

Crash of an Amiot 354 in Humbligny: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Amiot 354

Operator:

Registration:

I-134

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Avord - Avord

MSN:

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Avord to attack an armored column moving south of Montmirail. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed on the slope of the Butte d'Humbligny (431 metres high) located 16 km southwest of Sancerre. Two crew members were killed and a third was seriously injured.
Crew:
Adj/C Paul Sabourault, pilot, †
Lt Edouard Albert Louis Turrel, observer +1.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bloch MB.210 in Saint-Martin-d’Août: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1939 at 1310 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bloch MB.210

Operator:

Registration:

E-856

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Avord - Istres

MSN:

183

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Avord to Istres to transfer the squadron, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy snow falls. All six crewmen decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in Saint-Martin-d'Août, some 32 northeast of Valence. Four crewmen were injured and two others were killed as their parachute failed to open. Crew from the 51st Bomb Squad.
Crew:
Sgt Daniel Dugourd, pilot,
Lt Gilbert Bonnardel, Chief,
Adj/C Henri Bouvet, observer, †
Sgt André Bozon, radio operator,
Sgt Henri Porcher, mechanic,
Cpl/C Jean Lucas, radio. †

Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland in Cardet: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1939 at 1240 LT

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.440 Goéland

Operator:

Registration:

T-895

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Avord - Istres

MSN:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Avord to Istres to transfer the squadron, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy snow falls. The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Cardet, about 12 km south of Alès. All three crew members from the 51st Bomb Squad were killed.
Crew:
Adj Camille Mabile, pilot,
Sgt Pierre Gasparini, pilot,
Sgt François Croguennec, mechanic.

Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland in Saint-Sorlin-en-Valloire

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.440 Goéland

Operator:

Registration:

T-923

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Avor

MSN:

Location:

Saint-Sorlin-en-Valloire

Drôme

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Avord to Istres to transfer the squadron, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy snow falls. The captain attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a swamp located in Saint-Sorlin-en-Valloire. All three crew members from the 51st Bomb Squad were uninjured.

Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland on Peak Cassini: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.440 Goéland

Operator:

Registration:

T-913

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Avord - Istres

MSN:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Avord to Istres to transfer the squadron, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy snow falls. Too low, the airplane impacted the slope of Peak Cassini and was totally destroyed upon impact. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated and the wreckage was found six days later at an altitude of 1,600 metres. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Roger Lardeau, pilot,
2cl Jaroslav Novak, pilot,
Sgt Jean Henriquet, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.