Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland on the Pic d'Estable: 4 killed
Date & Time:
Dec 20, 1940 at 1545 LT
Operator:
Registration:
F-BAAR
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Clermont-Ferrand – Toulouse – Perpignan
MSN:
08403/85
YOM:
1937
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Clermont-Ferrand at 0847LT to Perpignan where the passenger was supposed to proceed with an inspection. A stop was scheduled in Carcassonne to deliver 50 kg of cargo. As the runway at Carcassonne Airport was wet, the crew decided to fly to Toulouse-Francazal Airport where he landed at 1015LT. The airplane took off at 1450LT for the second leg to Perpignan-La Llabanère. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and informed ground about his position over Pamiers at 1545LT then radio contact was lost. As the airplane failed to arrive in Perpignan, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended few weeks later as no trace of the airplane nor the crew was found. On 2 December 1949, a park ranger found the wreckage on the north face of Pic d'Estable, near Puilaurens. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Crew:
S/Lt Marcel Henri Wingert, pilot,
Adj/C René Hilaire Kleber Margouet,
Adj Jean Jules Désiré Pater.
Passenger:
Cpt René Pierre Parpiel.
Crew:
S/Lt Marcel Henri Wingert, pilot,
Adj/C René Hilaire Kleber Margouet,
Adj Jean Jules Désiré Pater.
Passenger:
Cpt René Pierre Parpiel.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain after the crew encountered limited visibility due to poor weather conditions between Toulouse and Perpignan.
