Nice

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Geneva – Nice

MSN:

6461

YOM:

1962

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Geneva to Nice, carrying eight crew members and ten members of the Saudi Royal Family. While cruising by night above the Alps and along the border between France and Italy, the crew was in communication with ATC based in Aix-en-Provence and was instructed to descent to 10,000 feet when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Matto located 28 km southwest of Cuneo. The wreckage was found a day later and all 18 occupants have been killed.

Crash of a Piaggio P.166AL-1 on Mt Oberalpstock: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1962 at 1252 LT

Type of aircraft:

Piaggio P.166 Albatross

Operator:

Registration:

D-INLF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Cologne – Nice

MSN:

402

YOM:

1961

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising over the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 14,000 feet, the crew encountered poor weather and icing conditions. He requested the permission to reduce his altitude when ATC advised the crew to divert to Zurich for a safe landing. This was the last radio transmission. Shortly later, the twin engine aircraft struck the southwestern slope of Mt Oberalpstock (3,328 m high) located at the border between the cantons of Uri and Graubünden. The wreckage was later found about 300 meters below the summit and all six occupants have been killed. It is believed that the crew was probably diverting to Zurich Airport at the time of the accident as the airplane struck the southwestern slope of the mountain. Among the victims were both German speedboat champions Sigrud Knubben aged 23 and Rolf Friedrich Goetze aged 43.

Probable cause:

It is believed the accident was the consequence of icing conditions.

Crash of a Vickers 621 Viking 1 in Southall: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1958 at 0632 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Independent Air Travel

Registration:

G-AIJE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

London – Nice – Brindisi – Athens – Tel Aviv

MSN:

127

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

13000

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1000

Aircraft flight hours:

2319

Circumstances:

The Viking took off from London Airport at 0554 hours GMT with a crew of 3 for a flight to Nice, Brindisi, Athens and Tel Aviv. Fifteen minutes later the cap tain informed London Airport that he had engine trouble and wished to return to Blackbushe. During the return flight the aircraft initially maintained 7,000 feet. Clearance was given to descend to 3000 feet but the descent was apparently continued to 1,000 feet without informing control. Shortly afterwards the aircraft reported "having difficulty maintaining height" and six minutes later, at 0632LT, it crashed in Southall, about 3 miles from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact as well as several houses. All three crew members and four people on the ground were killed. Fifteen other people on the ground were injured.

Probable cause:

The aircraft was allowed to lose height and flying speed with the result that the pilot was no longer able to exercise asymmetric control. The conduct of the pilot and the whole course of events outlined were contributed to by the deliberate policy of this Company, which was to keep its aircraft in the air and gainfully employed regardless of the regulations or of the elementary requirements which should enjoin consideration for the conditions of working of its employees or the maintenance of its aircraft. Any responsibility of the captain is to be viewed in the light of his position as an employee upon whose shoulders an intolerable burden was placed. At the time of the accident, the airplane was overloaded and the captain was overduty as he had been on duty for 31 hours 30 minutes, a gross breach of Article 34E of the Order, since the maximum permissible flying duty period for a two-pilot crew is 16 hours.

Final Report:

Crash of a Vickers 627 Viking 1B in Blackbushe

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1954 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

G-AIXS

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Blackbushe – Nice

MSN:

234

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Ten minutes after takeoff from Blackbushe, at an altitude of 6,000 feet, an oil leak occurred on the right engine that was shot down and its propeller feathered. The crew received the permission to return to Blackbushe. On final approach, at a speed of 100 knots, the aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in a field located 135 yards short of runway 26 threshold. All 37 occupants evacuated the cabin and four of them were injured, two seriously. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of the captain allowing the aircraft to stall when making a single engine approach to land. A contributory factor was distraction of the captain's attention by the flickering of the undercarriage red indicator lights during a critical stage of the approach. The starboard engine was also damaged by fire and was removed for detailed examination by the Engine Division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd. Their report stated that the rear of the crankcase had been almost consumed by fire and that a number of cylinder barrels were severely burned. A detailed strip examination did not disclose any mechanical defect and no reason for the failure was established.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-749A Constellation on Mt Cemet: 42 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1953 at 2330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-749 Constellation

Operator:

Registration:

F-BAZZ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Paris – Nice – Beirut – Baghdad – Karachi – Calcutta – Saigon

MSN:

2674

YOM:

1951

Flight number:

AF147

Location:

Mt Cemet

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane left Paris-Orly in good weather conditions. However, few minutes later, the crew was informed about few turbulences over the Alps. While cruising by night at an altitude of 9,500 feet, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Cemet or Mt Cimet (3,020 meters high) located about 8 km northeast of Allos, in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The wreckage was found at the altitude of 2,870 meters, about 150 meters below the summit. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 42 occupants were killed, among them the French violinist Jacques Thibaud and the French composer René Herbin.
Crew:
Jacques Tranoy, pilot,
Jacques Calmette, copilot,
Robert Mathis, radio navigator,
M. Fontaine, mechanic,
Jean-Marie Christophe, mechanic,
Monique Perret, stewardess,
Jean Menard, steward,
Rémy Lebars, steward,
Charles Delhomme, steward.

Probable cause:

At the time of the accident, the aircraft was not following the track that has been assigned and was off course for unknown reason. It was understood that the airplane deviated from the prescribed flight plan, maybe following a navigation error, but this was not determined with certainty. Thus, the accident is the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc in Nice: 38 killed

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1952 at 0810 LT

Type of aircraft:

SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc

Operator:

Registration:

F-BCUM

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tunis – Nice – Paris

MSN:

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Forty-five seconds after takeoff from runway 04 at Nice Airport, while in initial climb, the four engine aircraft banked left, overturned and crashed in a huge explosion near the Saint-Augustin station, north of the airfield. The airplane disintegrated on impact and only a female passenger was found alive. Unfortunately, she died from her injuries four days later. Among those killed were both French actresses Michèle Verly and Lise Topart, and also the Welsh politician John Emlyn-Jones.
Crew:
Mr. Farrugia, pilot,
Mr. Fraillon, radio operator,
Mr. Cavaille, mechanic,
Mr. Biancheri, steward.

Probable cause:

It was decided that the unusual path of the aircraft immediately following the take-off, was due to the blocking of the ailerons to the left at an angle of approximately 10 degrees. It was determined on the basis of analysis that the probable cause of the blocking was the unclamping of a link cheek of the upper rear chain of the co-pilot's control column, as a result of which the chain slipped off the sprocket and jammed against the internal boss of the pin which locks the ailerons in the neutral position. More broadly, the investigation brought to light the difficulty of setting and inspecting the chains inside the dual control columns. This difficulty is directly attributable to the design, and may cause certain chains which have not been properly studied in relation to the type of service for which they are intended, to become unclamped by torsion during maintenance and setting work.

Crash of a Vickers 614 Viking 1 on Mt La Cinta: 31 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1952 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

G-AHPI

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Bovingdon – Nice – Luqa – Nairobi

MSN:

142

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 1,040 meters about 65 km south of Palermo in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the north slope of Mt La Cinta. The crash site was reached by the rescuers three days later and all 31 occupants have been killed. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and an engine and a wing were found about 800 meters from the main wreckage.

Probable cause:

Imprudence on the part of the pilot, who failed to maintain a greater safety altitude during flight over Sicily, and that, particularly, in consideration of the thundery formations present over the area. A contributory factor was the pilot's ignorance of real wind conditions on the route which led to a displacement of the actual track by 3° with reference to that intended. The Commission finds that the flight safeguarding service provided by the D/F stations of Rome and Cagliari was accomplished with due care and that, without being asked to do so other D/F stations (Milan and Venice) transmitted bearing information.

Crash of a Sud-Est SE.161 Languedoc in Nice

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1949

Type of aircraft:

SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc

Operator:

Registration:

F-BATU

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Paris – Nice

MSN:

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown, the four engine aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and eventually collided with a concrete wall. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair while all 35 occupants were uninjured.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-15-DK in Monte Argentario: 13 killed

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1948 at 1752 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Pan African Air Charter

Registration:

ZS-BYX

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: