Paris-Orly

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lockheed L-749 Constellation

Schedule:

Dover – Lajes – Paris – Frankfurt

MSN:

10610

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a ferry flight from Dover, Delaware, to Frankfurt-Main Airbase with intermediate stops in Lajes, Azores Islands, and Paris-Orly. On final approach, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in Choisy-le-Roi, less than four km from the runway threshold. All six occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the loss of control may have been caused by the loss of the rear clam shell door which detached on final approach and struck the horizontal stabilizer, causing the failure of the empennage and the subsequent crash of the airplane.

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

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1953 at 2330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BAZZ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

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 Douglas VC-47A in Paris-Orly

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-93722

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

MSN:

13665

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on landing. There were no casualties.

Crash of a SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc in Bonneuil-sur-Marne: 11 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1952 at 1030 LT

Type of aircraft:

SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc

Operator:

Registration:

86/F-RAPC

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Paris - Paris

MSN:

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was involved in a training flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Paris-Orly, carrying ten crew members and one engineer from SNCASE. Shortly after takeoff from Paris-Le Bourget Airport, while in initial climb, the crew encountered technical problems when the flaps were retracted. The four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Bonneuil-sur-Marne, about 8 km northeast of Le Bourget Airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cdt Danna,
Cpt Humbert,
Lt Dutheil de la Rochère,
Adj Dumont,
Adj Lottiaux,
Adj Verdier,
S/Sgt Mauconduit,
Sgt Dervin,
Sdt Cosson,
Sdt Biava.
Passenger:
Mr. Devos.

Probable cause:

The loss of control occurred when the crew decided to raise the flaps, apparently following an asymmetric issue.

Crash of a Douglas VC-47A in Paris: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-23967

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

9829

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Paris-Orly Airport, the aircraft was too low and hit a telephone pole, passed just over the roofs of several houses and crashed in flames one km short of runway. A crew member was rescued while three others were killed.

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:

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 SNCASO SO.30P-1 Bretagne in Paris

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1951

Type of aircraft:

SNCASO SO.30 Bretagne

Operator:

Registration:

F-OAIY

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Paris – Algiers

MSN:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The right main undercarriage leg retracted suddenly while the aircraft was on a take-off run. The right wing struck the ground and slewed the aircraft round in the opposite direction. Fire broke out in the cargo hold but all passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The aircraft and cargo were about 80% destroyed.

Probable cause:

The cause of the sudden retraction of the right leg of the main landing gear could not be determined. However, the assumption that a tire on the right main gear burst during takeoff is not ruled out.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Paris

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

ZS-BWX

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Johannesburg – Wadi Halfa – Khartoum – Nice – Paris – London

MSN:

4254

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Paris-Le Bourget Airport, the pilot was instructed by ATC to divert to Orly Airport as a landing in Le Bourget was impossible due to the low visibility caused by mist. While approaching Paris-Orly Airport, the crew was forced to abandon the approach due to foggy conditions and made a go around. Then three other attempts to land were also aborted. During the fifth attempt, the pilot reduced his altitude, probably to establish a visual contact with the ground, when the aircraft hit a electric pylon and crashed on a generator located near the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all 14 occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4-1009 in Paris-Orly

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-4

Operator:

Registration:

F-BBDL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: