Châteauroux | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Châteauroux Airport to attack German troops in the region of Château-Thierry and Oulchy-le-Château. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in flames in an open field. Two crew members were killed and a third was seriously injured.
Crew:
Lt Edouard Seguin, pilot, †
Sgt Jean Marie Masson, pilot, †
Sgt/C Guenou, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Martin 167 Maryland in Châteauroux

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Martin 167 Maryland

Operator:

Registration:

191

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Châteauroux - Châteauroux

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Circumstances:

Crashed upon takeoff for unknown reasons. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt/C Lousori, pilot,
S/Lt Baraque, observer,
Sgt Jaubert, air gunner.

Crash of a Martin 167 Maryland in Romilly-sur-Seine

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Martin 167 Maryland

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Châteauroux - Romilly-sur-Seine

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Châteauroux to attack convoy in Château-Thierry and Oulchy-le-Château. After being hit by Flak, the crew diverted to Romilly where the aircraft crash landed in a field. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt/C Chauvin, pilot,
Adj Chautard, observer,
Sgt Pons, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Martin 167F Maryland in Romilly-sur-Seine

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Martin 167 Maryland

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Châteauroux - Romilly-sur-Seine

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Châteauroux to attack convoy in Laon, Reims and Montcornet. After being hit by Flak, the crew diverted to Romilly where the aircraft crashed upon landing. A crew was injured and two others were unhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt Bazon, pilot,
Cpl Frazier, observer,
Cpl Vanwormhoudt, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Potez 25.A2 in Rochefort

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Potez 25

Operator:

Registration:

2022

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Châteauroux – Rochefort

MSN:

2022

Location:

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Twelve Potez 25 operated by the Centre d’Instruction de Bombardement (CIB) from Chateauroux took off from their base to reach the Oleron firing range. They flew in two formations of six. At Rochefort Airport, several aircraft from the 2nd formation landed at the same time. Upon landing, the Potez 25 registered 2175 and flown by Sgt Chanal banked very slightly right, but that was enough to create a slipstream that hit the Potez 25 registered 2022, that landed on its left wheel. It rolled for few dozen metres before coming to rest upside down. Both crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
Sgt Maurice Pelastaing, pilot,
Sgt Roger Borrel, mechanic.

Crash of a Potez 25 in Le Mazurier

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Potez 25

Operator:

Registration:

752

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Châteauroux - Châteauroux

MSN:

752

Location:

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En roue, the pilot encountered engine problems and elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in a field. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and the pilot, sole on board, was uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt Dupuis, pilot.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Bloch MB.200 in Saint-Laurent-en-Gâtines: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Bloch MB.200

Operator:

Registration:

E-094

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Châteauroux - Châteauroux

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The crew was flying back to his base in Châteauroux following a training sortie. While cruising at night, an engine failure forced the crew to divert to Tours-Parçay Meslay Airport. Due to lack of visibility, the crew was unable to locate the runway and decided to attempt an emergency landing in an open field. On final, the aircraft collided with a farm and crashed, bursting into flames. All five crewmen were killed while three people in the farm were uninjured.
Crew:
2nd Lt Vieux,
Lt Bédat,
Sgt Major Perrin,
Sgt Giclon,
Sgt Aubry.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

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

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1928 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Farman F.63bis Goliath

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

City

Schedule:

Châteauroux - Chartres

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight from Châteauroux to Chartres with four passengers and a crew of two on behalf of the 5th squadron of the 22nd regiment based in Chartres. The aircraft departed Châteauroux at 1000LT bound to Chartres. While overflying Bonneval, the right engine lost power. Rather than making an immediate safe landing in a field, the pilot decided to continue to the airport of Chartres located some 20 km north of his position. While descending to the airport, the right engine failed. Rather than making a straight-in approach, the pilot started a regulatory but not mandatory circuit south of the airport. Vertical to Saint-Chéron, the aircraft stalled and crashed on a small house where a family was eating. All six occupants on board the aircraft were uninjured. In the house, two children were unhurt while their parents were seriously injured. The father died from his injuries few hours later.

Probable cause:

It appears that the right engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. The flight was not properly prepared before departure from Châteauroux Airport. The pilot Jean-Yves Le Bail did not proceed to a preflight inspection and was not aware that the fuel quantity was insufficient.