Deauville-Normandie (Saint-Gatien)

On final approach to Deauville-Saint-Gatien Airport, the twin engine airplane struck the ground and crashed in a field short of runway. Both wings were torn off and the aircraft was destroyed. There were no casualties.

The aircraft left Deauville at 1535 hrs., on flight No. C.6845, and made an uneventful flight to London at flight level 70. It was cleared to land on runway 28 Right and at 1624 hrs, reported passing the outer marker inbound. The approach proceeded normally and the aircraft came into the view of air traffic control personnel in the tower when it was about 200 feet, and close to the airport boundary. It was then in a normal approach attitude. However, at a position near the threshold of runway 28 Right the port wing was seen to drop and the aircraft turned slowly to the left off the runway centerline. The bank increased and the port wing tip, followed by the port main wheels, touched the grass surface of the aerodrome. Witnesses near to the runway threshold heard engine power applied as if for an overshoot and the aircraft then became airborne again and with the bank further increasing, it flew towards the partly constructed No.I terminal building on the northeast side of the airport central area. Whilst still steeply banked it struck two British European Airways Trident aircraft, which were parked at a pier of the terminal building, and burst into flames. The aircraft then rolled on to its back and after demolishing a twelve foot high metal blast barrier came to rest against the ground floor of the terminal building between two of the embarkation piers. 27 people on the ground in the area received slight injuries, 2 people were seriously injured. Six occupants were killed while two others were killed as well as all eight horses. The Trident registered G-ARPT was also destroyed while the Trident registered G-ARPI was repaired.

En route from Buc to Deauville, the single engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Saint-Didier-des-Bois, some 24 km south of Rouen. All three occupants were killed.