Bastia | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The pilot departed Bastia Airport on a flight to Marseille when he was called for a last fire fighting mission in the afternoon. While flying at low height over hilly terrain, the aircraft struck obstacles and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Ground accident of a Fairchild F27A in Toulon

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1989 at 1950 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild F27

Operator:

Air Corse

Registration:

F-GFHZ

Flight Phase:

Parking

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Toulon - Bastia

MSN:

YOM:

1960

Location:

Toulon-Hyères-Le Palyvestre

Var

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Boarding was done and the crew was preparing the aircraft when the gear were mistakenly retracted for unknown reasons. All 40 occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Boeing 307B-1 Stratoliner on Monte Renoso: 25 killed

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1962 at 1312 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 307 Stratoliner

Operator:

Registration:

F-BELZ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bastia – Ajaccio – Nice

MSN:

2001

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9865

Captain / Total hours on type:

3130.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

7388

Copilot / Total hours on type:

497

Aircraft flight hours:

41150

Circumstances:

The Boeing SA.307 Stratoliner F-BELZ arrived at Bastia (BIA), France from Nice (NCE) at 05:25 UTC. The plane took off again for the return flight via Ajaccio (AJA), Corsica at 11:49 and was cleared for a cruising altitude of FL120, estimating Ajaccio at 12:20 UTC. Last radio contact with the flight was at 12:09 when the flight crew replied to the weather and active runway information from Ajaccio Approach. At 12:12 the flight flew into a sheer rock face of Monte Renoso which is located 45 km from the Ajaccio VOR on the 048 radial. Impact was at an altitude of 2,285 m (7,500 feet) and about 50 m (165 feet) below the summit. The aircraft rebounded after impact and fell about 100 m down the slope of the mountain. All 25 occupants were killed, among them members of the Bastia Basketball team who were flying to Nice for the National Championship. The aircraft was totally destroyed.
Crew:
Roger Mercier, pilot,
Fernand Delime, copilot,
Antoine Blois, mechanic.

Probable cause:

The accident was attributed to a series of errors by the crew who:
- Made insufficient preparation for the flight and committed a serious error in estimating the duration of the flight,
- Failed to observe the cruising altitude entered on the flight plan,
- Failed to check properly the navigation of the aircraft which resulted in a wrong estimation of the position of the aircraft,
- Failed to maintain the safety altitude, and
- Started the descent prematurely, subsequently entering into instrument flight conditions.
The errors of the crew were made possible:
- By a lack of supervision of the flights on the part of the operator; and
- By a lack of correct route instructions for the segment Bastia-Ajaccio. The Board was led to conclude that the crew of F-BEIZ did not have the necessary instructions for the route via the turning point. Even supposing that the instructions supplied to the Board by the operator were issued before the accident, and that they were available to the pilot-in-command, the Board considered that these instructions were inaccurate and dangerous since they did not give the altitude at the turning point and they provided for a flight time between Bastia and Ajaccio which was incompatible with the attainment of safety altitudes.
- By a certain fatigue of the crew. Although the regulations concerning flight time limitations were strictly observed, it is worth mentioning that the flight activity of the crew was fairly strenuous during the three days preceding the accident.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Bastia: 26 killed

Date & Time: Oct 4, 1945 at 0440 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

PA278

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Conington – Naples

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left RAF Conington, Cambridgeshire, at 0030LT bound for Naples, Italy, with a crew of 6 and 19 female passengers, members of the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service back to Italy following a leave period in the UK. While cruising by night along the east shore of Corsica, the crew informed ground about engine problems and elected to divert to Marseille Airport. Shortly later, it is believed the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea some 50 km northeast of Bastia. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 26 occupants was found.
Crew (103rd Squadron):
F/Lt Geoffrey Taylor, pilot,
Sgt William John Kennedy, air gunner,
F/Sgt Jack Anthony Reardon, navigator,
F/Sgt Norman Reginald Robbins, wireless operator,
Sgt Richard George Steele, flight engineer,
F/Lt John Percy Whymark, air gunner.
Passengers:
Matron Sadler,
Cpl Willimena Allan,
Pvt Phyllis Kathleen Doris Bacon,
Cpl Heather C. Cosens,
Pvt Stefania Courtman,
Pvt Barbara Diana Cullen,
Jane Simpson Annand Curran,
Pvt Agnes Edwards,
Pvt Rhoda Alice Fraser,
Pvt Bessie Goodman,
Cpl Jill Goring,
Pvt Joan Larkin,
Pvt Alice Lillyman,
Cpl Sheila MacLeod,
Cpl May Eleanor Mann,
Pvt Betty Evelyn Precious,
Cpl Enid Dacia Rice,
S/Sgt Jessie Semark,
Pvt Marion Tayklor.

Probable cause:

Engine problems.