Lézignan-Corbières

The single engine aircraft departed Lézignan-Corbières Airport at 1650LT with a pilot and several skydivers on board. At 10,500 feet, all skydivers jumped out and the pilot reduced his altitude to return to his base. On final approach to runway 08, at a height of 700 feet and at a speed of 90 knots, the pilot slightly increased the engine power to maintain the glide and then reduced again the power. At this time, the engine stopped and the propeller auto-feathered. Unable to reach the runway, the pilot attempted an emergency landing in a vineyard located some 800 meters short of runway 08, to the right of its extended centerline. While the pilot was uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The airplane departed Istres-Le Tubé Airbase on a flight to Toulouse-Francazal with an intermediate stop in Lézignan-Corbières. It took off from Lézignan-Corbières Airfield at 0805LT for the second leg of the trip. While cruising at an altitude of 1,800 metres in clouds, the crew encountered icing conditions. Controls got jammed and the pilot bailed out when the airplane entered a dive and crashed onto a farm, bursting into flames. The pilot survived while three other occupants were killed.
Crew:
S/Lt Jean René Durand, pilot,
Sgt Louis d'Esperonnat, pilot,
Cpl/C Joseph Marie Gelin, mechanic,
Cpl Gilbert Augier, air gunner.

The airplane departed Lézignan-Corbières on a bombing mission. After being shot down by the German Flak and with the right engine on fire, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field, bursting into flames. Three crew members bailed out but two were killed. The fourth occupant remained on board and was killed.
Crew:
Lt Pierre Marie Henri Sabourdy, pilot, †
Adj Pierre Antoine Tourres, pilot, †
Sgt André Bozon, radio operator,
Sgt/C Ferdinand Marius Moser, air gunner. †

The crew departed Lézignan-Corbières on a local test flight. After takeoff, while climbing to a height of 200 metres with the undercarriage retracted, the airplane entered a left turn then rolled left to an angle of 45° when control was lost. The aircraft crashed in a field located 1,500 metres past the runway end, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Adj Laurent Pochard, pilot,
Adj Robert Doideau, pilot,
Sgt/C André Deguil, mechanic,
Lt Pierre Gillet, Chief.