Perpignan

The Douglas C-54A passenger aircraft operated on a non-scheduled international flight from Manston, England, to Perpignan, France. Takeoff was accomplished at 17:31 hours GMT and the airplane climbed to the en route cruising altitude of FL90. At 19:48 hours the flight crew established contact with Marseille Control and reported having crossed the FIR boundary. At 20:25 hours the flight reported over Mende at FL90, estimating abeam Montelimar at 20:44 hours. Marseille Control immediately asked for confirmation abeam Martigues for it could not be Montelimar which is practically on the same parallel as Mende. The aircraft then corrected its message to abeam Montpellier at 20:44 hours and shortly thereafter, on request, gave its estimated time of arrival (ETA) at Perpignan as 21:10 hours. A rough calculation showed that if the aircraft had passed Mende at 20:25 hours and if its ETA of 20:44 hours abeam Montpellier was confirmed, its ETA of 21:10 hours at Perpignan was not possible without a decrease in ground speed of about 18 per cent, unless the pilot had allowed some time for the approach procedure. In view of this Marseille Control requested at 20:33 hours confirmation of the 21:10 hours ETA at Perpignan. The flight replied with an ETA of 22:10 hours then corrected this to 21:10 hours. At 20:43 hours the aircraft reported abeam Montelimar (instead of Montpellier), and estimating Papa 3, an entry point into Perpignan located at Narbonne, at 20:52 hours. This estimate was appropriate but made the ETA of 21:10 hours for Perpignan even more difficult to accept. At 20:50 hours the aircraft corrected its ETA over Papa 3 to 20:51 hours, confirmed its ETA at Perpignan as 21:10 hours and requested authorization to start its descent. Marseille Control cleared the aircraft to descend to FL70 and asked it to call Perpignan Approach. At 20:52 hours the aircraft called Perpignan Approach, confirmed its 21:10 hours ETA and stated that it was descending to flight level 70. Perpignan Approach then gave the flight the QFE, the QNH and the surface temperature and asked it to call again on passing flight level 70. At 20:55 hours the aircraft reported approaching FL70 descending to FL50, and five minutes later it reported approaching FL50. Perpignan Approach acknowledged receipt and asked it if it had the aerodrome in sight. The flight replied "Roger, we'll advise, field in sight." Having apparently understood that the aircraft actually had the runway in sight, Perpignan Approach then instructed it to report downwind for runway 33 and told it that the wind was calm. At 21:04 hours Perpignan Approach asked the aircraft for its flight level and was advised 4000 ft; the flight also advised it would be "...with you in about five minutes." When asked by the Controller if it had the field in sight the flight replied at 21:05 hours "Yankee Kilo negative at this moment." Perpignan Approach then repeated in a questioning tone of voice - "Yankee Kilo, you have not my field in sight?" and received the reply "that is affirmative". The controller misunderstood this remark and told the aircraft to report downwind for runway 33, wind calm. A few seconds later the aircraft asked for QDMs (magnetic bearings), Perpignan Approach was surprised and asked it to repeat its request. There was no reply to any subsequent calls by Perpignan. It was subsequently found that the aircraft had impacted a mountain in the Pyrenees Mountains at an elevation of 1160 m. The wreckage was found in a ditch located at an altitude of 940 meters on the slope of Mt Canigou after the airplane struck the Dent du Lion with one of its wing. The aircraft was totally destroyed and none of the 88 occupants survived the crash.

The aircraft left London-Gatwick Airport at 2013LT on a charter flight to Perpignan with 36 passengers and a crew of four on board. At 2315LT, the crew was cleared to continue direct to Perpignan maintaining the altitude of 9,500 feet. At 0008LT, the crew was cleared by Marseille Control to descend to FL65 and then FL55 seven minutes later. While approaching Perpignan, the crew was informed about the poor weather conditions at destination with thunderstorm activity. At this time, the crew informed ground that the radiocompas settings were inexploitable due to the violent storm. While cruising in low visibility, the airplane struck trees and crashed on the Roc de Planes, in the massif of the Mottes-Rouges, near the village of Py. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 40 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found some 48 km southwest of Perpignan-Rivesaltes Airport at an altitude of 1,810 meters.
Crew:
Max-Marie Dunoyer de Lescheraine, pilot,
Léopold Marold, copilot,
Émile-Lucien Jamin, navigator,
Muriel Tiberghain, stewardess.

The aircraft was coming from Gatwick, England, and after reporting over Toulouse at about 0030 hours GMT it headed directly for Perpignan, France, at flight level 75. It was expected over the aerodrome at about 0112, and it was seen shortly before 0100 by various witnesses in the Prades area, during intermittent rain and wind of variable force. It struck the mountain side in level flight in the Canigou Massif at about 0100 hours. The wreckage, located at an elevation of 2 200 m at 1350 on the same day by a Search and Rescue Constellation, was destroyed by the impact and by fire. There were no survivors. Three crew and 31 passengers were aboard the flight.

The pilot prepared an IFR flight plan for a direct flight from Perpignan to Oran, at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the duration to be 3 hours and 15 minutes. Algiers was listed as the alternate. At 1045LT the crew requested take-off instructions from Perpignan control tower and following engine run-up, a normal take-off was made at 1045LT. After taking-off the aircraft was seen climbing away, somewhat off the SSE heading (this is the conventional procedure, consisting in flying round Cape Creus in order to avoid the Alberes mountains before heading for Oran. At 1056LT the aircraft made radiotelegraphy contact with Perpignan navigational D/F and reported true track: 202 degrees, good visibility, altitude: 8,000 feet and a magnetic bearing (QDR) was requested. At 1058LT the D/F station transmitted a QDR of 1620 and reported in its log strong interference caused by static. At 1131LT the aircraft contacted Aix area control centre and reported Barcelona abeam. At 1200LT the aircraft contacted Algiers area control centre and reported ETA at Oran 1415LT, altitude 8,000 feet, flying sometimes below and sometimes in clouds (QBH-QBF) and reported static interference and requested a true bearing from Algiers (QTE). Algiers replied at 1158LT QTE = 3320. At 1216LT the aircraft reported position at 1208LT hours was 40°N 25°E, ETA Oran 1410LT. At 1226LT, the last message was received from the aircraft, bearing on Algiers 3170, altitude 8,000 feet, flying in cloud and requested clearance to descend to 6,000 feet. About two minutes later, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into sea, about 60 km north of Cap de la Nau and about 50 km northwest of the Ibiza Island. Few debris and dead bodies were found four days later. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and sank, and all 39 occupants were killed.

While cruising in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located near the Ouillat Pass, on the French territory, about five km north of the Spanish village of Requesens. Three passengers were injured while six other occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to poor weather conditions and the crew was flying at an insufficient altitude to pass over the Pyrenees Mountain Range.

The three engine aircraft departed Oran-Es Senia Airport at 1530LT on a cargo flight to Lyon via Perpignan, carrying a load of vegetables. En route, the airplane crashed in the Gulf of Lion about 90 km east of Perpignan for unknown reason. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Mr. Screka, pilot,
Mr. Pelletier, radio operator,
Mr. Prado, mechanic.
Passenger:
Mr. Saada.

On final approach to Perpignan Airport, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a field. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The twin engine airplane departed Perpignan Airport at 0820LT on a local training mission. About 10 minutes later, it crashed into the sea off Argelès-sur-Mer. A crew was rescued while two others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Norman James Price, pilot, †
Sgt Roy Joseph Stanley, observer, †
LAC R. Brown, wireless operator and air gunner.

Following a stop in Barcelona, the crew continued to Perpignan and reported by radio at 1430LT he was climbing over clouds to have a better visibility. This transmission was the last one. Shortly later, while cruising in foggy conditions over a mountainous area, the aircraft collided with a small unoccupied house and crashed near Viladrau, southwest of Gerona. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Jacques Emler, pilot,
René Riguelle, pilot,
Alfred Guychard, radio navigator.

On final approach to Toulouse-Montaudron Airport, the single engine stalled and crashed near the runway threshold. All three occupants, the pilot Marcel Murier and two passenger, were killed.